Contraceptive use linked to cancer among women

CEBU, Philippines - Birth control pills and other forms of artificial hormonal contraception increase the risk of breast cancer among women, the Human Life International - Pilipinas said yesterday.

Dr. Rene Josef Bullecer, HLI-Pilipinas Country Director said that as early as 2005, the World Health Organization confirmed that oral contraceptives can cause cancer to humans such as liver cancer, cervical cancer, and even breast cancer.

He said the idea is that contraceptives, like birth control pills, increase the body’s hormone levels, which gives chance for cancer cells to grow and divide uncontrollably.

The National Cancer Institute confirmed that some cancers depend on naturally occurring sex hormones for their development and growth.

“It’s unfair why women were not told about this while it was discovered years ago,” Bullecer said.

The risk reportedly comes when the increase in women’s hormone levels make them more sexually active, thereby, increasing the chance of engaging in sexual activity with other people, said Gynecologist Pura Bandolon.

Bandolon said that when a woman becomes polygamous, the probability of her contracting HPV - a sexually-transmitted virus that causes cervical cancer, also increases.

Human papillomavirus or HPV is a papillomavirus that infects the epidermis and mucous membranes of humans. It can lead to cancers of the cervix, vulva, vagina, and anus in women.

Bullecer said that in the Philippines, about 84 percent of couples are using oral contraceptives. Less that five percent are using natural contraception.

He said that cancer remains the leading cause of deaths worldwide, which accounted for 7.9 million deaths in 2008. Of this number, 599,000 died of breast cancer.

Aside from its carcinogenic effect, Bullecer said oral contraceptives can be linked to hypertension among women. The 2005 Leading Causes of Mortality among Females data of the Department of Health cited that the top three main causes of mortality include diseases of the heart, diseases of the vascular system and malignant neoplasm.

Bullecer said that progestogen contained in oral contraceptives increases blood pressure because it generates cholesterol plaques that block the veins.

In maternal mortality, the main causes remain complications related to pregnancy occurring in the course of labor and delivery and hypertension complicating pregnancy.

“Pregnant women who are current users of pills or even those who have used pills previously have high risk of hypertension that can lead to their death. In fact, the DOH has advertised that 11 women dies of pregnancy complications everyday which is around 4,015 mothers a year,” Bullecer said.

Bandolon advised women to take precautionary measures when it comes to using pills and to make sure to know its side effects before taking a shot.

She further advised women to do their own research or consult a doctor, especially that government clinics reportedly do not necessarily tell patients the side effects of pills.

Moreover, Bullecer reiterated the call of HLI for the public not to support the Reproductive Health Bill, which, if approved, legalizes the use of all forms of contraceptives.

HLI is conducting a massive information campaign on the role of contraceptives in breast cancer formation and other human illnesses, in line with the observance of breast cancer awareness month this month. — Jessica Ann R. Pareja/JMO         (FREEMAN NEWS)