Study shows oral contraceptives may prevent some types of cervical cancer
BY HANNAH BUNNING Special to the news news@gulfbreezenews.com

It's hard to believe that one little pill can do so much.

Many women take the pill to prevent pregnancy, regulate periods and for a lot of other health reasons, but a recent study shows that birth control pills can also prevent ovarian cancer for many years.

Oral contraception has always been linked to a reduction in ovarian cancer rates, but the study shows that the length of that protection has been extended, said Phylis Craig, the supervisor of the Women's Clinic at the Student Health Care Center at the University of Florida, in an e-mail interview.

Craig said that women start taking the pill at a wide range of ages, some as early as middle school. This could be beneficial since the new study shows that the longer women take it, the longer the protection from ovarian cancer will last.

The study was conducted at the University of Oxford and showed that oral contraception prevented 100,000 deaths from the disease.

However, even with the pill there are advantages and disadvantages.

According to the planned parenthood web site, oral contraception is one of the most effective reversible methods of birth control. It is also simple, safe and convenient to take, and many women who take it have fewer menstrual cramps and lighter periods.

Kalee Beaver, 20, started taking the pill for health reasons about a month and a half ago. She said that some people, especially Christians, might look down on unmarried women who take it.

"I think that the approach would be totally different if it could prevent cancer," Beaver said.

However, the pill could also increase women's risk of breast and cervical cancer.

Women who take it have a slightly increased risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer at an early age, according to the WebMD Web site. This risk is greater for women who take it before having their first child.

"I don't see women flocking in to start the pill for protection of cancer," Craig said.

However, she does see it as a good selling point for nonsmoking women in their 30s and 40s, looking to reap the benefits of oral contraception.

"I try to reassure women that at this point in time we have no evidence that associates pills with breast cancer," said Craig. "We are all at risk for breast cancer no matter what your family history or whether you have taken the pill or not."

Craig also said that studies do show an increase in cervical cancer for those who have taken the pill. However, there is a new HPV vaccine that can help reduce the chance of cervical cancer.

Craig always tells her patients "the pill is better for you than bad for you." The list of advantages is longer than that of the disadvantages, she said.

She also said that some experts even say that all women should be on the pill even if they don't need it, just to get the ovarian and endometrial cancer protection.

Beth D'Ambra, 19, doesn't think it is a good idea to use a bunch of medications on the chance that they could prevent types of cancer. She has never been on the pill.

"If you're taking the pill in order to not get pregnant then I think it's a good idea," D'Ambra said. "But until there is more research done, I don't think women should take it just for cancer protection."