The pill does not increase the risk of cancer in general
Leef Bewust is a Dutch health blog that deals with “Holistic Health, Self-Healing and Happiness” such as shamanism.
In a video on their Instagram and Telegram page, they warn against the contraceptive pill: “It is criminal that a doctor does not tell you this. Hormonal contraceptives such as the Pill are categorized as group 1 carcinogens by the International Agency for Research on Cancer…like tobacco and asbestos.”
Hormonal pill carcinogenic according to IARC, but not ‘as carcinogenic as tobacco or asbestos’
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) is the specialized cancer agency of the World Health Organization. The institute published reviews of studies on cancer in 1999 and 2007. In 2018, this overview was supplemented with new data. It categorizes the contraceptive pill, which contains both estrogen and progesterone, as ‘Group 1’.
The IARC has compiled a long list of carcinogens and divided them into groups. Group 1 includes substances that have been sufficiently proven today to be carcinogenic to humans. The contraceptive pill, tobacco and asbestos are in that group. But this says nothing about how carcinogenic these substances are. For example, tobacco is a much larger cause of cancers.
Professor Johan Verhaeghe of the Gynecology Department of UZ Leuven confirms that the contraceptive pill can indeed be carcinogenic. “The effects are highly dependent on the dose, duration and, above all, the type of hormone. Proprietary estrogens and progesterone are less carcinogenic than synthetic forms.”
Effects of birth control pills are small
Verhaeghe states that the effects of the contraceptive pill are small. “But clinical follow-up is necessary for pill users, which is why it is best for many to only get the pill by prescription, as is the case in Belgium.” According to him, it is better to take pills with bioidentical hormones and lower doses of estrogen and progesterone.
A 2010 study collected all English-language group and case studies on hormonal contraception and the risk of stroke. This meta-study concludes that no group study found an increased overall risk of cancer in those who ever took birth control. Bottom Line: Women who want to use combined contraception can safely do so and it probably won’t put them at a higher risk of cancer.
The World Health Organization does not advise against the pill. The contraceptive pill is on its list of essential medicines.
Higher risk of breast cancer disappears 5 to 10 years after stopping the pill
According to the IARC and other studies, hormonal birth control pills target three types of cancer: breast cancer, cervical cancer and liver cancer. In the latter case, the increased risk is modest and usually involves benign tumors.
Clinical results indicate that current users of oral contraceptives have a slightly increased risk of breast cancer. But this risk disappears again 5 to 10 years after stopping the pill.
Cervical Cancer Screening
Research also shows that the birth control pill may increase the risk of cervical cancer. This cancer is caused by the HPV virus, which is transmitted sexually. The pill cannot therefore cause cervical cancer, but it can speed up the process after being infected with the virus.
“With modern pills, the effect on breast cancer is at the limit of the measurable. As far as cervical cancer is concerned, the risk is significant and measurable, even in small research groups,” says Professor Verhaeghe. “But provided that swabs or an HPV test are taken correctly, this is not a clinical problem.”
Factors other than the pill pose a greater risk for cervical cancer, such as smoking and unprotected sex, he says. “You can also get vaccinated against HPV.”
Birth control pills protect against ovarian and uterine cancer
Conversely, according to the IARC, the pill also offers protection against a number of cancers. Combined birth control pills have a significant protective effect against ovarian cancer. According to the 2010 study, protection increases with duration of use: the relative risk decreased by 20 percent for every 5 years of use.
In addition, the pill protects against cancer of the endometrium. The risk of this decreases by 50 percent and decreases with longer use.
Pill use does not affect fertility
Also in the video Live Aware says that the pill causes a shortage of “nutrients necessary for fertility”. This is not right. When you take the pill, you are of course not fertile. But it won’t affect your fertility after you stop taking the pill.
Instead of the pill, Leef Bewust recommends periodic abstinence as a contraceptive, using apps that follow your natural cycle. According to Health and Science, this can help, but only if you follow the app closely.
Periodic abstinence is not as reliable as birth control methods such as the pill and condoms. According to the World Health Organization, the risk of pregnancy with the contraceptive pill is 7 in 100. With periodic abstinence that is 15 in 100.
Conclusion
It is true that the International Agency for Research on Cancer categorizes hormonal contraceptives as carcinogenic. But that does not mean that it is as carcinogenic as smoking, on the contrary.
The pill can increase the risk of breast and cervical cancer, although the risk is small and decreases after stopping the pill. The pill also has a protective effect against endometrial and ovarian cancer.