Dr. Chris Kahlenborn, who led a meta-analysis, and his entire team believe that in accordance with the standards of informed consent, women must be warned of the potential risk of pre-menopausal breast cancer from the use of oral contraceptives.

Related Links

Marguerite Bourgeoys Family Centre
Naprotechnology & Fertility Care Programme, Canada
www.fertilitycare.ca

The CREIGHTON MODEL FertilityCare™ System
www.creightonmodel.com

NaProTECHNOLOGY
A Major Breakthrough In Woman's Gynecological Health Care
www.naprotechnology.com

The Billings Ovulation Method
www.billings-centre.ab.ca

Serena BC
www.vcn.bc.ca/sereabc/index.html

The Medical Institute for Sexual Health
www.medinstitute.org

Institute of Marriage & the Family
www.imfcanada.org

The Vanier Institute of the Family
www.vifamily.ca

Artificial Contraception

How does "the Pill" work?

Effectiveness

Breakthrough Ovulation

The Pill - Side-Effects

The Pill and Breast Cancer

The Pill & Smoking

The Morning After Pill

How does "the Pill" work?

The woman’s cycle is controlled by the intricate interplay of two hormones, estrogen and progesterone, rising and falling at different times of the month. Estrogen levels peak at ovulation as the egg is released into the fallopian tube. If it is not fertilized, the egg will "expire" in 12 to 24 hours and estrogen levels will fall. Once the egg has died, it releases progesterone into the blood stream signaling the 11-16 days of the Luteal Phase, which is the time in a woman’s cycle when nothing special occurs. There is no ovulation during this time and it is considered the time of infertility. When menstruation begins, it signals Day One of the entire cycle.

The Pill works by suppressing these natural hormonal cycles. It replaces them with synthetic estrogen or a combination of estrogen and progesterone for 21 days. The heightened hormone levels from the Pill simulate a state of pregnancy in the body, preventing the ovaries from releasing an egg. In other words, the Pill makes the woman’s body "think" that it is pregnant so her ovaries do not produce new eggs.

However, since the 1960’s and'70’s, the doses of estrogen and progesterone have been lowered. The new pill, or "third generation" Pill, will occasionally allow the ovaries to release eggs (breakthrough ovulation). If conception takes place as a consequence, the pill will prevent "attachment of the embryo to the lining of the uterus (implantation)." (5) The newly conceived embryo will be lost when the woman menstruates.

It should be noted that a woman or girl who is taking the Pill will not menstruate in the true sense of the word. Because the synthetic hormones are controlling the cycle and at least some of the time preventing ovulation, she will have what is known as a "withdrawal bleed." A withdrawal bleed happens when the body is deprived of the synthetic hormones contained in the Pill. Usually the Pill comes in packs of 28 tablets. Twenty one tablets contain estrogen and/or progesterone. Seven tablets are made of sugar. It is during this time, when she is taking the sugar tablets that her body will react to the withdrawal of synthetic hormones and bleed. When she then resumes the 21 days of hormones, they again place her body in a simulated pregnancy-like state.

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Effectiveness

The Pill is 92 to 99.9% effective in preventing ovulation, conception or implantation if taken regularly at approximately the same time every day. However, as with all methods, the effectiveness varies, depending on actual use.

The Allen Guttmacher Institute (the research arm of Planned Parenthood) reports that

• "Contraceptive use is a key predictor of women's recourse to abortion. [Fifty-four percent] of abortions occur among the much larger group of women who were using contraceptives in the month they became pregnant. Many of these women report difficulty using contraceptives consistently..."(3)
  
• Fifty-four percent of women who have abortions had used a contraceptive method (usually the condom or the pill) during the month they became pregnant. Among those women, 76% of pill users and 49% of condom users report having used their method inconsistently, while 13% of pill users and 14% of condom users report correct use.(4)
  
  
  

Despite high levels of Pill use, teen pregnancy rates remain high. One prominent study showed that one in five teens aged 12 to 18 using "the Pill" get pregnant within 6 months. (6) Almost all teen pregnancies are unexpected. The Allan Guttmacher Institute reports that 85% of teen pregnancies are unplanned.

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Breakthrough Ovulation

Did you know…..There are more than 10 different types of pills that contain varying dosages of estrogen and progestin. Since the 1960’s doses of the synthetic hormones in the Pill have been significantly lowered from 150mcg to 20-30mcg. These lower doses allow for breakthrough ovulation to occur.

Due to the fact that many types of hormonal female contraceptives allow ovulation to occur, this increases the rate of conception of an embryonic human being.

Mini-Pills are progesterone-only birth control pills, containing a synthetic form of progesterone and no estrogen. The Mini-Pill affects the mucus around the cervix and makes it harder for sperm to enter the uterus. It allows for ovulation and hence possible fertilization, but it "affects the transport of the egg through the fallopian tubes" (15) and prevents implantation.

The Linacre Quarterly reported that the mini-pill does not stop ovulation at all in 67-81% of the women who use it. (16)

Norplant allows for breakthrough ovulation, (17) and Depo-Provera allows breakthrough ovulation 30% of the time.(18)

The IUD generally does not affect ovulation. The ovaries continue to alternately produce oocytes (eggs) each month. The purpose of the IUD is to alter the endometrium (the lining of the uterus) and prevent implantation (the burrowing of the embryo into the lining of the uterus),(19) thus causing the embryo to die.

Learn more about how breakthrough ovulation occurs:



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The Pill - Side-Effects

Women may find, especially in the first three months of taking oral contraceptives, that the following side-effects are common. These may include:(7)

• Spotting or break-through bleeding.
  
• Headaches
  
• Nausea
  
• Vomiting
  
• Breast tenderness
  
• Mood changes
  
• Rash (If these effects persist for more than three months, women are encouraged to see their health-care practitioner).
  

The Pill also exposes women to an increased risk of the following more serious long-term effects:(8-10)

• Cervical cancer
  
• Premature aging of the cervix
  
• Ectopic pregnancy
  
• Infertility
  
• Stroke and Heart Attack
  
• Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
  
• Susceptibility to infections including HIV/AIDS (the Pill weakens the immune system)
  
• Blood Clots
  
• Death

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The Pill & Breast Cancer

The World Health Organization

The WHO reported in a July 29, 2005 press release that a team of scientists had found that the combined oral contraceptive pill (estrogen plus progesterone) is "carcinogenic to humans." It was upgraded to a Group 1 classification due to "sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity in humans." The Pill is considered by the WHO to have serious health concerns regarding its potential to cause cancer.

The Mayo Clinic

A major finding published in the renowned Mayo Clinic Proceedings in March 2006 from a careful mega-study (meta-analysis) of world literature found that oral contraceptives are linked to a "measurable and statistically significant" association with pre-menopausal breast-cancer."(11)

Twenty-one out of 23 world-wide studies showed an increased risk of breast cancer in women who had taken the Pill before experiencing a full term pregnancy.

Dr. Chris Kahlenborn, who led the meta-analysis, said that he and his entire team believe that in accordance with the standards of informed consent, women must be warned of the potential risk of pre-menopausal breast cancer from the use of oral contraceptives.(12)

The National Cancer Institute of Canada

On its web-site, the NCI states that "being exposed to estrogen over a long time may increase the risk of breast cancer." Its 2007 Canadian Cancer Statistics report lists, under "Risks for Breast Cancer," "Use of exogenous hormones (e.g., oral contraceptives, combined hormone therapy)."(13)

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The Pill & Smoking

There are several dangers that accompany smoking and use of the contraceptive pill. Deep Vein Thrombosis is one of the more serious side effects. These are blood clots that occur deep within the muscular tissue of the body and can travel to the heart or brain, causing severe damage and sometimes death.(14) Women who both smoke and use the Pill are encouraged to tell a health-care professional.

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The Morning After Pill

The Morning After Pill (MAP) is also known as Emergency Contraception. The Morning After Pill involves very high doses of the artificial steroids that make up the birth control pill. MAPs can involve overdoses of estrogen only, progesterone only or a combination of the two, and are taken within 72 hours of sexual intercourse.

How does it work?

The Morning After Pill works in one of three ways.

1. Stops ovulation, so that an egg will not be released.
2. If an egg has been released, the MAP alters the lining of the uterus so that it is hostile to the sperm and prevents conception of a new human life.
3. If fertilization has already occurred, the MAP prevents implantation of the newly conceived embryo into the lining of the uterus, thus terminating its life.

Is it Safe?

While no long-term studies have been done to determine the safety of these drugs on women’s health, we do know that the short-term effects involve nausea, vomiting, breast tenderness(20) and blood clot formation.(21, 22) Some other effects are possible infertility and ectopic pregnancy.(23)



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