How safe is the Pill?

A new study has thrown doubt on the safety of the combined contraceptive pill, or second generation Pill. According to the research, it could increase the risk of breast cancer by 45 per cent. So is the Pill bad for your health? The female hormones oestrogen and progesterone - and the Pills which mimic them - have complex roles in the body. This means some effects of the Pill could be beneficial, while others may be harmful.

How it helps

Ovarian cancer

According to the Family Planning Association, studies have found that taking the combined contraceptive Pill for a year or more reduces the risk of ovarian cancer by 50 per cent. This protective effect, which lasts for 15 years, occurs because the Pill 'shuts down' the ovaries, preventing cell division and ovulation. It is this process that goes wrong and causes cancer.

Womb cancer

Research has found the combined contraceptive Pill can reduce the risk of endometrial - or womb - cancer by 40pc. This is because the pill stops the
cell division that causes the womb to thicken each month, preventing canerous changes from occuring.

Endometriotis

Endometriotis occurs when womb tissue grows abnormally, spreading into the abdominal cavity. The condition can be excruciatingly painful because, like the womb, this tissue thickens and bleeds each month. Because the Pill suppresses this process, the abnormal tissue doesn't flare up each month.

Ovarian cysts

By stopping ovulation, the combined Pill can prevent ovarian cysts, which can cause weight gain, acne, abnormal hair growth and infertility.

Anaemia

Thousands of women suffer anaemia due to heavy periods. Because the combined pill prevents the womb wall from thickening, there is no period, so no blood loss.

Acne

The combined Pill can cure acne, according to the Acne Support Group. It can be very effective in women with high testosterone and other hormonal imbalances. However, the progesterone-only Pill can make acne worse.

Alzheimer's Disease

Studies funded by pharmaceutical companies are finding that oestrogen, and Pills containing it, may work as a brain 'antioxidant', helping to prevent the damage that occurs in Alzheimer's disease. In women suffering memory loss who have had hysterectomies, the Pill has been found to improve recollection and mental clarity.

How it harms
Breast cancer

A study in the International Journal of Cancer surveyed 100,000 women taking second-generation Pills and found they were at a 45 per cent increased risk of breast cancer. However, the study didn't take into account hereditary, age or smoking factors, which also play a role in triggering the disease.

Immunity

Women, who have higher oestrogen and progesterone levels than men, are more resistant to a variety of infections.

However, women are also up to seven times more likely to develop auto-immune diseases such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.

Often these strike during or just after pregnancy, when oestrogen levels have been high.

Overall, this implies that women's immune systems are more 'reactive' to the environment, and oestrogen may play a critical role.

These findings suggest the Pill could make women more able to fight off infection, but more likely to develop auto-immune diseases and conditions such as asthma and hay fever.

High blood pressure

The Pill can cause high blood pressure or hypertension, a major factor in heart disease.

It can take a month or two for changes in blood pressure to show. Those concerned should ask their doctors to check, and come off the Pill if a high reading has been taken.

Weight gain

Oestrogen regulates body fat deposition as well as water retention, which is why some women taking the contraceptive Pill can put on as much as a stone in a month. Trying another Pill formulation may prevent the problem.

Stroke and DVT

One study found that women who took an oral contraceptive were 2.3 times more likely to have a stroke than women not taking the Pill. They also found that women taking the third-generation Pill were slightly more at risk than second-generation takers.

Third-generation Pills, which contain different types of synthetic progesterone, may double the risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

This is the formation of blood clots in the legs or pelvis, a painful condition, which is fatal if the clot lodges somewhere like the lungs.

Heart disease

The combined Pill raises levels of bad cholesterol in the blood, reducing 'good' cholesterol that protects arteries from furring up. However, the effect is very slight and only women who smoke and take the Pill are thought to be at a higher risk of heart disease. For this reason, smokers should stop taking the Pill at the age of 35.

Should I take the Pill?

Melissa Dear of the Family Planning Association urges caution to women who are worried about links between the Pill and breast cancer. 'This study did not take into account factors such as age, smoking or hereditary risk, and they're important,' she says.

'Other studies have found only a very small raised risk of breast cancer, and women should remember that the Pill has a number of protective effects.'