Oral Contraceptives

Oral contraceptives can increase your risk of cancer

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Did you know that oral contraceptives were classified as carcinogenic?  I knew there were many side effects from birth control pills, but when I discovered that they were classified as a “group 1 carcinogen”, I was shocked!

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), oral contraceptives fall into the group one carcinogen category, which means a ‘known and probable’ cancer-causing agent to human beings.  Examples of group one carcinogens are tobacco, asbestos, plutonium, diesel exhaust, and “the pill.”

Does that mean that everyone who is exposed to group 1 carcinogens develops cancer?

Not necessarily, but the chances of developing cancer are much higher.  In a nested case-control study of 1,102 women diagnosed with breast cancer and 21,952 controls, scientists found that recent oral contraceptive use increased breast cancer risk by 50 percent, compared with never or former use.  Birth control pills containing low-dose estrogen did not increase cancer risk.

How does the increased levels of estrogen cause breast cancer?  According to Dr. Angela Lanfranchi and her booklet on Breast Cancer Risks and Prevention:

”Estrogen can cause cancers in two ways.  First, estrogen acts as a “mitogen.”  Estrogen stimulates your breast tissue to increase cell divisions (mitoses).  This sometimes results in cancers due to errors in cell division (mutations).  Second, certain metabolites of estrogen also act as carcinogens or genotoxins by directly damaging DNA, thereby causing cancer cells to form.”

How to help protect yourself from the cancer-causing danger of oral contraceptives

1.  Eat lots of cruciferous vegetables and supplement with DIM I3C.  This is a concentration of specific nutrients in the cruciferous vegetables that help to metabolize estrogen into the less aggressive and protective estrogen metabolites.

2.  Support your liver with nutrients such as NAC and milk thistle that will help detoxify any carcinogenic substance.

3.  Lignans in flaxseeds are potential breast cancer inhibitors.  They actually help to metabolize estrogens and inhibit the growth of blood vessels that feed tumors.  An excellent source of concentrated flax oil is “Brevail.”  This flax oil concentrate was university-researched and developed to increase lignan concentrations in the body to match levels found in women who collectively demonstrate an extraordinary history of breast health and hormonal balance.

4.  Incorporate regular physical activity into your routine.  Exercise has been shown to reduce the risk of certain cancers, including breast cancer, by promoting hormonal balance and boosting the immune system.

5.  Limit alcohol consumption, as excessive alcohol intake has been linked to an increased risk of various cancers, including breast cancer.  Moderation is key when it comes to alcohol consumption and overall health.

Are you looking for a less toxic method of birth control?

Basal temperature method

You measure your basal body temperature vaginally each morning before you get up and chart your temperature.  When there is a slight increase in your temperature, you are ovulating.

Mucous method

A clear, egg-white vaginal mucous is an indication that you are ovulation.  When you are not ovulating and are not fertile, your mucous will be tacky and sticky.

Of course, other methods to consider could be condoms and diaphragms.

We are exposed to so many xeno-estrogens or chemical estrogens from the environment, plastics, personal care products, dental metals, and hormone-injected foods.  Regardless of your decision about birth control, support your body to properly metabolize estrogen with proper nutrition and lifestyle choices.

Oral Contraceptives Don’t Impair Sexual Function, at Least Overall

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Use of an oral contraceptive (OC) did not decrease overall sexual function in a rare randomized controlled trial on the issue, published online August 15 in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

However, the levonorgestrel-containing oral contraceptive (OC) used in the study did slightly decrease three of seven measures in the validated Profile of Female Sexual Function (PFSF) tool, those of desire, arousal, and pleasure. And that may make a difference to some women choosing birth control, the authors write.

 Since the changes in the three factors “were relatively small, our results should be interpreted with caution,” senior author Angelica Linden Hirschberg, MD, PhD, professor in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm, Sweden, told Medscape Medical News. However, she said, “for individual women, we believe it could be of clinical importance.”

The authors, led by Niklas Zethraeus, PhD, of the department of learning, informatics, management, and ethics at Karolinska Institutet, aren’t suggesting providers change prescribing practice, according to Dr Hirschberg. But she added that the possible side effects should be recognized.

The combination used for this trial was 150 g of levonorgestrel and 30 g of ethinylestradiol (Neovletta, Bayer Schering Pharma), which is the most widely prescribed oral contraceptive in Sweden, the authors write. Dr Hirschberg said oral contraceptives containing levonorgestrel are recommended as the first choice in many countries since this combination has been associated with the lowest risk of venous thrombosis.

The group randomly assigned 340 healthy women ages 18 to 35 years to placebo and 332 to the combination OC. Participants took one capsule every day for 21 days, but not during the fourth week, for 3 months.

Baseline data was collected in days 1 through 7 before the start of treatment and final data collection was at the end of the third treatment cycle. At both points, a blood sample was taken for analyses of hormones and binding proteins. Participants completed three surveys: the weekly Sexual Activity Log (SAL), the PFSF, and the personal distress scale (PDS)

 Researchers found that the contraceptives negatively affected desire (mean point difference from baseline score -4.4 or a drop of 7.8%); arousal (-5.1, a 6.5% drop); and pleasure (-5.1, a 7.4% drop) when compared with placebo. Scores for orgasm, sexual concern, responsiveness, and self-image were similar between groups.

The average PDS scores and frequency of satisfying sexual episodes in 1 week were also similar between the groups: For PDS the mean difference was 3.63 (P = .083); for satisfying episodes, the mean difference was -0.57 (P =.054).

First Study of Its Kind

The authors write that most previous studies in this area have been retrospective and not randomized or controlled. Only two small placebo-controlled randomized studies were published between 1978 and 2011, and both had inconclusive results.

Colleen Krajewski, MD, MPH, an obstetrician/gynecologist with Magee-Womens Hospital of University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pennsylvania, said oral contraceptives are “among the most misunderstood medications.”

She told Medscape Medical News that the current study illustrates that, while some individual women report their sexual function is affected by their contraceptive, “when we look at a large group of women, on average, we don’t see a big difference in objective measures of sexual function compared with placebo.”

She said she commonly hears patients say their libido has decreased and then ask for their birth control to be adjusted. This study will help give them confidence that for most women, the cause is likely not the brand of birth control they are using, she said. The study also highlights an understudied topic. “We should absolutely address issues of sexuality and libido,” she said, “and address them in a multifactorial way.”

Different types of combined OCs have different risk profiles and side effects. Therefore, the findings can’t be generalized for all OCs, the authors acknowledge. Some pills are associated with mood changes, acne, increased appetite, and weight gain, depending on the progestin component and type of regimen.

“Further placebo-controlled studies are needed to evaluate effects on sexual function by alternative OC combinations,” Dr Hirschberg said.

If data from other OCs show fewer or no adverse effects on sexual function, that could influence medical decisions. Sexual dissatisfaction is a key reason women stop taking OCs, risking unwanted pregnancies, the authors note.

Oral contraceptives cause cancer.

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Did you know that oral contraceptives were classified as carcinogenic? I knew there were many side effects from the birth control pill, but when I discovered that they were classified as a “group 1 carcinogen”, I was shocked.

According to the World Health Organization, oral contraceptives fall into the group one carcinogen category, which means a ‘known and probable’ cancer-causing agent to human beings. Examples of group one carcinogens are tobacco, asbestos, plutonium, diesel exhaust and “the pill”.

Does that mean that everyone who is exposed to group 1 carcinogens develop cancer?

Not necessarily, but the chances of developing cancer are much higher. In August 2014, the American Association for Cancer Research, released an article called, “Recent Use of Some Birth Control Pills Increase Breast Cancer Risk.”

In a nested case-control study of 1,102 women diagnosed with breast cancer and 21,952 controls, scientists found that recent oral contraceptive use increased breast cancer risk by 50 percent, compared with never or former use. Birth control pills containing low-dose estrogen did not increase cancer risk.

How does the increased levels of estrogen cause breast cancer? According to Dr. Angela Lanfranchi, and her booklet on Breast Cancer Risks and Prevention”:

”Estrogen can cause cancers in two ways. First, estrogen acts as a “mitogen.” Estrogen stimulates your breast tissue to increase cell divisions (mitoses). This sometimes results in cancers due to errors in cell division (mutations). Second, certain metabolites of estrogen also act as carcinogen or genotoxins, by directly damaging DNA, thereby causing cancer cells to form.”

How to help protect yourself from the cancer-causing danger of oral contraceptives

1. Eat lots of cruciferous vegetables and supplement with DIM I3C. This is a concentration of specific nutrients in the cruciferous vegetables that help to metabolize estrogen into the less aggressive and protective estrogen metabolites.

2. Support your liver with nutrients such as NAC and milk thistle that will help detoxify any carcinogenic substance.

3. Lignans in flax seeds are potential breast cancer Inhibitors. They actually help to metabolize estrogens and inhibit the growth of blood vessels that feed tumors.

An excellent source of concentrated flax oil is “Brevail.” This flax oil concentrate was university researched and developed to increase lignan concentrations in the body to match levels found in women who collectively demonstrate an extraordinary history of breast health and hormonal balance.

4. Follow ”The 7 Essentials System”, an evidence-based program that teaches you how to prevent and heal breast cancer naturally.

Are you looking for a less toxic method of birth control?

1. The Ovu-Tech is a hand-held mini-magnification tool about the size and shape of a lipstick holder. You put a small amount of saliva on the lens and allow it to dry. If you are fertile or just getting ready to ovulate, you will see a beautiful display of crystalline patterns that look like ferns.

2. The Basal Temperature method. You measure your basal body temperature vaginally each morning, before you get up, and chart your temperature. When there is a slight increase in your temperature, you are ovulating.

3. The Mucous Method. A clear, egg-white vaginal mucous is an indication that you are ovulation. When you are not ovulating and are not fertile, your mucous will be tacky and sticky.

4. Of course, other methods to consider could be condoms and diaphragms.

We are exposed to so many xeno-estrogens or chemical estrogens from the environment, plastics, personal care products, dental metals and hormone injected foods. Regardless of your decision about birth control, support your body to properly metabolize estrogen with proper nutrition and lifestyle choices.

About the author: Dr. Veronique Desaulniers, better known as “Dr. V”, is the founder of The 7 Essentials System ™, a step-by-step guide that teaches you exactly how to prevent and heal Breast Cancer Naturally. To get your F.R.E.E. 7 day mini e-course, and to receive her weekly action steps and inspiring articles on the power of natural medicine – visit: BreastCancerConqueror.com.

References:

What’s a Group 1 carcinogen?


http://www.aacr.org/Newsroom/Pages/News-Release-Detail.aspx?ItemID=572#.VLPXWskgdiP
http://bcpinstitute.org/booklet4.htm#estrogen
http://breastcancerconqueror.com/7-essentials

 

Androgenic parameters similar in elite female athletes, healthy young women

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European researchers found normative serum androgen levels in high-level female athletes, even when considering the possible influence of menstrual status, oral contraceptive use, sport type and ethnicity, according to data published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

The findings hold promise for development of a blood steroidal module for the biological passports of athletes and could help refine policy fairness and recommendations around hyperandrogenism in elite competitors, the researchers wrote.

“This unique study showed for the first time that the androgenic parameters measured in a large sample of high-level female athletes were close to those observed in a healthy young population,” the researchers wrote.

Stéphane Bermon, MD, PhD, head of the Monaco Institute of Sports Medicine and Surgery-Exercise Physiology, and colleagues looked at 849 elite women athletes; 85.5% did not use oral contraceptives.

The researchers assessed serum testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, androstenedione, sex hormone-binding globulin and gonadotropins using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry high resolution or immunoassay. Free testosterone was quantified.

Sampling time, age and type of athletic event showed only a small influence on testosterone concentration, and ethnicity had none. After removing five women athletes for doping and five with disorders of sex development, median testosterone and free testosterone values were similar to those reported in sedentary young women.

The 99th percentile for testosterone concentration was 3.08 nmol/L, below the 10 nmol/L competition eligibility threshold for hyperandrogenic women with normal androgen sensitivity.

In the population not on oral contraceptives, 168 were oligo- or amenorrhoic. Those using oral contraceptives demonstrated the lowest serum androgen and gonadotropin and the highest SHBG concentrations.

According to the researchers, the prevalence of the hyperandrogenic 46 XY disorder of sex development in the athletes was at approximately 7 per 1,000, 140 times higher than estimated in the general population.

 “This important recruitment bias is an indirect evidence for performance-enhancing effects of hyperandrogenic disorders of sex development conditions and their associated high [testosterone] concentration in female athletes,” the researchers wrote. “But we cannot exclude that the Y chromosome in some unknown way may bring an advantage to female athletes.”

MS Linked With Use of Hormonal Contraceptives.

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Women with multiple sclerosis (MS) or clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) were more likely to have used oral contraceptives in the 3 years before their diagnosis than women who did not have MS or CIS, the results of a new case-control study show.

“Independent of age, smoking status, parity and obesity, there was a link between the use of oral contraceptives and the development of the first symptoms of MS,” lead author Kerstin Hellwig, MD, a postdoctoral research fellow at Kaiser Permanente Southern California, commented to Medscape Medical News. “These findings suggest that using hormonal contraceptives may be contributing at least in part to the rise in the rate of MS among women.”

The study will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) 66th Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, April 26 to May 3, 2014.

35% Increased Risk

The researchers investigated such an association in a population-based nested case-control study from the membership of Kaiser Permanente Southern California. They identified 305 women with MS or CIS first diagnosed between 2008 and 2011 who had at least 3 years of continuous membership before symptom onset.

Each case was matched with 10 controls on the basis of age, race/ethnicity, and membership characteristics. Data were obtained from the complete electronic health record and analyzed using conditional logistic regression, adjusted for smoking and live births 3 years before symptom onset.

Results showed that 29.2% of cases and 23.5% of controls had used a hormone contraceptive for at least 3 months within the 3 years before symptom onset. The majority used estrogen/progestin combination preparations.

Women who used any hormonal contraceptive in the 3 years before symptoms onset had a 35% increased risk of developing MS/CIS. Those who had stopped using hormonal contraceptives at least 1 month prior to symptom onset had a 50% increased risk.

Table. Risk for MS/CIS in Women With a History of Hormonal Contraceptive Use vs Nonusers

Group Odds Ratio for MS/CIS (95% Confidence Interval) P Value
Ever users 1.35 (1.01 – 1.80) .04
Not current users 1.50 (1.05 – 2.14) .026

 

Dr. Hellwig said, “This is a small effect and we cannot make any recommendations based on these observations.”

Noting that 2 previous studies have suggested a similar association, she added that “this is just one more small part of the puzzle.”

She explained that MS is more common in women, and some studies suggest the incidence is increasing in women but not in men, leading to questions of whether something in the changing lifestyle of women might explain this.

“Hormones play an important role in many diseases, and it is known that pregnancy — which is associated with high estrogen levels — is protective against relapses in women who already have MS, so hormones appear to be involved in some way in this disease.”

She noted that one idea is that low estrogen levels may trigger autoimmune disease, but there is no information on possible thresholds necessary for a protective or harmful effect.

The researchers did not measure other factors associated with the lifestyle of modern women, such as diet, activity levels, or how long they spent outside, so several potential confounders were probably not accounted for.

They are now planning to look at lifetime exposure because if the association was causal, the risk would be expected to increase with time of exposure.

ACOG Recommends Over-the-Counter Access for Oral Contraceptives .

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The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that oral contraceptives should be made available over the counter to improve access to contraception.

In a new policy statement, the group says that women could use checklists to self-screen for contraindications. However, there are still concerns about how pharmacists will be paid for their services and whether insurers would cover OTC oral contraceptives. And it is possible that some pharmacists would refuse to provide oral contraceptives.

Another concern is that women will forgo preventive services if they have OTC access, but the authors point out that screening for cervical cancer or sexually transmitted infections is not a requirement for oral contraceptives and shouldn’t be a barrier for access.

Making the pills available over the counter would allow women to purchase more than one pill pack at a time, which could increase the continuation rates.

Source:  ACOG