As a very simple introduction it should be known that contraceptives are unnatural and very harmful to the body.  They create excess acidity making one more susceptible to sickness and dis-ease in various organ and filtration organ systems.  Most CO medication works by affecting Hormone levels in the body.  When you mess with them you are disrupting the natural chemistry in your body which in turn can cause a wide array of side effects.

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World Health Organization Classifies Contraceptives as Highly Carcinogenic
Copyright: LifeSiteNews.com

GENEVA, Switzerland, August 8, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A press release issued on July 29th of this year by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a division of the World Health Organization (WHO), declared the little publicized classification of combined estrogen-progestogen oral contraceptives (OCs) as carcinogenic. The IARC placed the contraceptives into their Group 1 classification, the highest classification of carcinogenicity, used only "when there is sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity in humans." (emphasis theirs)

Combined estrogen-progestogen OCs are the most commonly prescribed forms of contraceptives. According to the IARC "worldwide, more than 100 million women - about 10% of all women of reproductive age - currently use combined hormonal contraceptives."

This outright declaration by the World Health Organization of the proven dangers of combined OCs comes as an unexpected surprise to many who have been working for years to publicize their dangers. "I'm stunned that they would come out and say that, because they've been denying this for years," said Toronto area MD and medical adviser to Campaign Life Coalition, Dr. Shea. But he added, "They're really only admitting something that's been known."

In 2003 the National Cancer Institute (NCI) became one of the latest added to the list of scientific bodies that had found a substantially increased risk of several types of cancer amongst combined OC users, citing a "significant increase" of the risk of breast cancer, as well as an increase in the risk of cervical and liver cancers. Despite this admission, no significant steps have yet been taken to protect womens' health and to curb the use of combined OCs.

The IARC press release further confirms the NCI's findings, declaring that: "Previously, combined oral contraceptives had been determined to be carcinogenic to humans, but only primary liver cancer was specifically implicated. The Working Group concluded that combined oral contraceptives alter the risk of several common cancers in women. They increase a woman's risk of cervical cancer, breast cancer, and liver cancer."

Despite the immediate danger to the nearly 100 million women worldwide who are regularly ingesting the newly-defined 'carcinogenic' contraceptive pills, the IARC did not recommend that the regular prescription and easy availability of combined OCs should undergo any review. In this the IARC parallels the National Cancer Institute's study concluded with the recommendation that, instead of the obvious remedy of decreased use of the medically dangerous combined contraceptives, women should undergo frequent mammograms and Pap tests, to discover and curb already developing cancers.
See the IARC release:
http://www.iarc.fr/ENG/Press_Releases/pr167a.html

Birth Control PillsA new study found that women who take birth control pills increase their risk of cervical and breast cancers.

More Research Called For

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) concluded that while birth control pills may protect against some types of cancer, they cause a higher risk for others. Birth control pills had already been considered a possible liver cancer risk.

The IARC called for more research to determine whether the total net effects were beneficial or dangerous.

Hormonal Menopausal Therapy Also Implicated

At the same time, IARC scientists looking at hormonal menopausal therapy raised its designated risk level from "possibly carcinogenic" to "carcinogenic." Hormonal menopausal therapy increases the risk of breast cancer and endometrial cancer.

About 100 million women worldwide use oral contraceptives. An additional 20 million are on hormonal menopausal therapy.

 The Epoch Times August 10, 2005

Dr. Mercola's Comment:

The most important thing to remember about hormonal birth control methods such as the pill is that they are synthetic hormones. It isn't healthy for a woman to be exposed to them.

In fact, their long-term use will invariably increase a woman's risk of developing serious chronic illness. In addition to increasing health risks as dangerous as cancer and blood clots, birth control pills also deplete important nutrients, including vitamins B2, B6 and B12.




Side effects of birth control pills can include:


    * Increased risk of breast and cervical cancers
    * Increased risk of blood clotting, heart attack and stroke
    * Migraines
    * Gall bladder disease
    * Increased blood pressure
    * Weight gain
    * Mood changes
    * Nausea
    * Irregular bleeding or spotting
    * Benign liver tumors
    * Breast tenderness
    * Yeast overgrowth and infection

The use of birth control pills or synthetic hormones is actually rarely justified. If you're using birth control pills to control menstrual cycles, irregular bleeding, cysts or endometriosis, you are not treating the underlying dysfunction. Instead, you are simply increasing the risks to your health.

It is essential to balance the adrenal glands in these situations, as cortisol levels modulate and control the female hormones, especially progesterone. The pill only treats the symptoms instead of the disease, and causes its own side effects as your body continues to remain in an unhealthy state.




Just Say "No" to Birth Control Pills

By Carolyn Dean, M.D., N.D.

Some 30 years ago, birth control pills were the be-all and end-all of the sexual revolution. Freed from the worries of pregnancy, women explored their sexuality, perhaps for the first time in history. Only a few years passed before the "magic" pill began to lose its luster. Discoveries that high-estrogen birth control pills contributed to breast cancer, embolisms and stroke made women begin to think twice.

Today, newer lower dosage birth control pills maintain high popularity, despite their continued serious health risks for women.

Let me give you my opinion in a straightforward manner: I don't advocate the use of birth control pills. Yes, they are effective at preventing unwanted pregnancies, but the risks far outweigh those benefits.

If you are currently using birth control pills of any kind, I cannot urge you strongly enough to stop taking them as soon as possible.

Presently, 16 million American women are using birth control pills, fueling a $2.8 billion industry. Many of us became familiar with the Pill in adolescence either because of a desire for sexual intimacy or due to painful or irregular periods. Both reasons are fundamentally flawed. There are numerous safe and effective ways to prevent pregnancy.

Cramping, painful and irregular periods are often due to a deficiency of progesterone and an excess of estrogen. So estrogen-alone birth control pills -- as are the most commonly prescribed pills on the market now -- often compound the problem.

That's why some women have intolerable estrogen-induced side effects when they are on birth control pills like:

    * Weight gain
    * Mood swings
    * Breast tenderness

In simple terms, what's wrong with the pill (by the way birth control shots and patches are essentially the same thing) is it promotes continuous high levels of estrogen in a woman's body.

Science tells us this is dangerous.

A woman's natural cycle is composed of rising and falling levels of estrogen and progesterone. Birth control pills work by keeping estrogen at a sufficiently high level that they fool the body into thinking it is pregnant, therefore another pregnancy cannot occur.

They work by one or a combination of methods:

    * Some pills prevent ovulation.
    * Others prevent implantation of a fertilized egg in the endometrium or lining of the uterus.
    * Still others thicken the mucus around the cervix, making it difficult for sperm to penetrate.

There is even a new brand of birth control pill on the market that boasts woman can safely have a period only four times a year or they can avoid having periods altogether for years at a time without a break from the estrogen blast.

We certainly don't know everything about estrogen or estrogen dominance, as it is called when estrogen levels remain high without being balanced by progesterone, but among the effects we do know are:

    * Increased risk of breast cancer
    * Increased risk of blood clotting,
      heart attack and stroke
    * Migraines
    * Gall bladder disease
    * Increased blood pressure
    * Weight gain
    * Mood changes
    * Nausea Irregular bleeding or spotting
    * Benign liver tumors
    * Breast tenderness

In addition, the use of antibiotics has been shown to decrease the effectiveness of birth control pills.

What is not usually mentioned, or even known, is the metabolism of birth control pills by the liver requires extra amounts of the B-complex vitamins, vitamin C, magnesium and zinc. That means if you're taking birth control pills for years at a time, as are most American women, you're creating nutrient deficiencies. Weight gain, fluid retention, mood changes, depression and even heart disease can all arise from nutrient imbalance.

For example, we now know high levels of an amino acid called homocysteine cause heart disease. And high homocysteine occurs when there is a deficiency of B vitamins and magnesium.

In addition to all this misery, the continuous use of birth control pills like the new no-period pill has not been sufficiently studied. Women who use these methods -- that may be you -- are the "test subjects," if you will, for an ongoing experiment. We have no idea what the long-term effects of daily hormones will do to fertility or other aspects of our health.

The Pill and Yeast Overgrowth

The insidious yeast, candida albicans, generally makes its home in the human digestive tract. But, in a modern society where common lifestyle choices for women include birth control pills, antibiotics, a highly refined bread and sugar diet, coupled with high stress levels, candida overgrowth can have wide-ranging effects.

When the right set of risk factors occur, toxins from yeast overgrowth and their byproducts can adversely affect the entire body, causing problems far beyond the common vaginal infection.

Symptoms ranging from migraines to infertility, endometriosis, psoriasis, PMS, depression, fibromyalgia, digestive disorders and many other seemingly unrelated health problems have been attributed to yeast overgrowth. And evidence-based results show that treating the yeast overgrowth often alleviates these symptoms.

These symptoms can be so widespread that it is difficult for patients and most doctors to comprehend that this is a complex of indicators that could be related to one underlying cause.

The use of birth control pills is a major risk factor for developing yeast overgrowth because it promotes estrogen dominance. Because birth control pills give a woman's hormonal system a continual stream of estrogen, an imbalance is created, Science has shown us that there is a close link between estrogen dominance and yeast overgrowth. Visiting The Yeast Connection Web site can help you learn about yeast and decide if you might have an overgrowth and give you tools to treat this condition.





What are the Alternatives?

I'm very aware that women (and their partners) want to avoid unplanned pregnancies. I concede that birth control pills have provided an easy -- but not safe -- way to accomplish this goal. There are numerous safe and effective ways to prevent unwanted pregnancies.

Here are a few options to consider:

    *

      Male condoms: Most of us are familiar with male condoms, which, at a 98 percent effectiveness rate when used correctly, are nearly as effective as birth control pills. However, be sure to purchase lubricated condoms or use water-based lubricants like K-Y jelly or spermicidal creams to increase your protection. Many couples are unaware that lubricants like petroleum jelly actually cause the latex in the condoms to break down and increase the risk of pregnancy. An added bonus of condoms: They help protect against sexually transmitted diseases.
    *

      Female condoms: Most of us are unfamiliar with female condoms, but these thin, soft polyurethane pouches fitted inside the vagina before sex are 95 percent effective. Again, the rate of effectiveness is increased if a spermicidal jelly is used. The female condom has an inner ring that goes into the upper part of the vagina and an outer one, which should be visible outside the vagina. Female condoms are less likely to tear than male condoms.
    *

      Diaphragm: Diaphragms, which must be fitted by a doctor, are thin soft rubber mounted on a ring. When inserted into the upper part of the vagina to cover the cervix, they act as a barrier to sperm. If used correctly with spermicidal jellies, they are 92 to 98 percent effective in preventing pregnancy.
    *

      Cervical cap: This effective (91 percent), but underutilized, form of birth control has been available in the U.S. for decades. The heavy rubber cap fits tightly against the cervix and can be left in place for 48 hours. Like the diaphragm, a doctor must fit the cap. Proper fitting enhances the effectiveness above 91 percent.
    *

      Spermicides: Creams, jellies and suppositories contain chemicals that kill sperm. While they can increase the effectiveness of other forms of contraception, I don't recommend using them alone.

Finally, I highly recommend the Creighton Model Fertility Care System (CrM). It uses the science-based modality of NaPro Technology (NaPro), a women's health science that evolved from interpreting the biomarkers of the menstrual and fertility cycle, mainly, all the stages of cervical mucus and the length and intensity of the menstrual flow. (I'll write about this method in the future.)

Working with a trained doctor, a woman has many options with this technology:

    * Identify times of fertility to either get pregnant or avoid pregnancy
    * Identify chronic discharges
    * Evaluate hormones and apply appropriate
      hormonal treatment (with bio-identical hormones)
    * Identify functional ovarian cysts and treat them non-surgically by using the appropriate bio-Identical hormone
    * Evaluate the effects of stress

   

    * Treat premenstrual syndrome
    * Evaluate, treat and/or prevent reproductive abnormalities such as infertility, miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, stillbirth, prematurity
    * Identify and treat perimenopause
    * Evaluate and treat heavy uterine bleeding
    * Help avoid hysterectomy by applying the appropriate hormonal treatment

You can learn more about NaPro Technology at their Web site.

    Carolyn Dean, M.D., N.D., is health advisor to Woman's Health Connection at The Yeast Connection and is featured on the Web site's "Ask A Pro" page. Her latest books are The Miracle of Magnesium and Natural Prescriptions for Common Ailments.

Dr. Mercola's Comment:

Dr. Dean is a key health advisor to www.yeastconnection.com, a Web site I highly recommend to women based on the pioneering work of the late Dr. William Crook.

Dr. Crook, one of my first mentors and a friend was the author of the classic book, The Yeast Connection, and many other bestsellers that helped millions of women. He was instrumental in helping me recognize that there was a wide network of physicians who understood the importance of nutrition. He indirectly helped connect me to this network and I will be ever grateful for his guidance in this area as that was really the beginning of my journey into high-level natural health.

His great legacy is being carried on at www.yeastconnection.com, where you will find out all the latest insights on how candida yeast causes problems in your body, and how to alleviate them.

Traditional hormonal birth control methods work by releasing estrogen and progestin into the body, preventing the ovaries from releasing eggs. They also thicken cervical mucus, making it harder for sperm to enter the uterus.

There are a wide variety of hormonal methods on the market. The most important thing to remember about hormonal birth control solutions: These contraceptives are SYNTHETIC hormones and it isn't healthy for a woman to be exposed to them. In fact, their long-term use will invariably increase a woman's risk of developing serious chronic illness.

In fact, it is rarely justified to use birth control pills or synthetic hormones. In addition to increasing serious health risks such as blood clots, birth control pills can also deplete the more important nutrients, including vitamins B2, B6 and B12.




Birth Control Pills Linked to Thinner Bones
 

Women who are taking birth control pills have lower bone mineral density (BMD) than women who have never used oral contraceptives.

Past studies in postmenopausal women have found that supplementation with the hormones estrogen and progestin actually helps maintain bone density. But few have looked at the effect of hormones on premenopausal women.

After adjusting for age, body mass index and height, BMD in oral contraceptive users was 2.3% to 3.7% lower than in women who had never used oral contraceptives, especially in the spine and the upper part of the thigh bone.

Canadian Medical Association Journal October 16, 2001;165:1023-1029

Dr. Mercola's Comment:

Yet another reason to avoid birth control pills. I know of no compelling reason to prescribe them for anyone, and I encourage all new patients to my office to stop them as soon as they finish their current cycle.















Finally -- A Move to Eliminate Birth Control Pills

 Birth Control

The consumer group Public Citizen has petitioned the FDA to ban oral contraceptives that contain the synthetic hormone desogestrel.

Studies suggest that these birth control pills nearly double the risk of potentially fatal blood clots compared with other such pills, without providing improved protection against pregnancy.

Approximately 7.5 million prescriptions for desogestrel-containing oral contraceptives were filled in the
United States in 2006.

Pills containing desogestrel may cause 30 cases of blood clots for every 100,000 users a year; other birth control pills only cause 15 cases per 100,000 users. At 7.5 million prescriptions, that means over 1,000 women are unnecessarily being placed at risk each year.

Manufacturers of desogestrel-containing pills have stated that the increased risk of blood clots is listed on the label. However, this warning is in "barely perceptible 4-point type," according to Public Citizen.

Public Citizen February 6, 2007

USA Today February 6, 2007

Dr. Mercola's Comment:

A patch isn't the only form of birth control that elevates a woman's risk of deadly blood clots. Third-generation oral contraceptives containing the synthetic progesterone hormone desogestrel are just as dangerous.

But even older birth control pills will elevate your risk of blood clots, just not quite as much as the variety that contains desogestrel. As far as I understand health, there simply is never a reason to take birth control pills. There are many natural and effective alternatives. Admittedly, they may not be as convenient, but they are far safer options.

Most drugs do have some legitimate purpose on occasion and do provide some benefit; but this just isn't the case for birth control pills. I really don't believe that there is ever any clinical indication to use them.

Typically, there are always safer options when it comes to birth control pills.

Oral contraceptives are SYNTHETIC hormones that the body is not designed to process. Long-term use will invariably increase the user's risk of developing serious chronic illness.

It is also important to remember that birth control pills can deplete the following nutrients:

    * Vitamin B2
    * Vitamin B6
    * Vitamin B12
    * Folic Acid
    * Vitamin C
    * Magnesium
    * Zinc

Women don't need a patch, pill or implantable rod, as there are plenty of safer, more natural birth control alternatives available that are just as effective.

On Vital Votes, Lifestyle and Nutrition Coach Josh Rubin from San Marcos, California adds:

    "There are many problems with the pill in my opinion. For one, it is synthetic. It is made in a lab and does not match the human genetic make up. This is a huge stress to the body and can cause GI problems, many physiological imbalances and hormonal issues.

    "Secondly, the pill is not linear. As you take it in, it creates chaos in the rest of the body. Thirdly, it creates other symptoms and dysfunctions. And lastly it is used today for so many other things by MD's such as mood, eliminating acne and so forth.

    "There are options for not getting pregnant. There are condoms, what I call 'outside sex,' or just being safe if you are not using a condom. I have worked with so many young women, as young as 21 that have severe mental, emotional, and physiological problems secondary to the pill. I can say this for one because they sit in front on me and I assess them, their life etc and all problems stem back to the pill.

    "Secondly, I do hormonal testing and the most common thing I see is very, I mean very low levels of progesterone (estrogen dominance) and adrenal issues, leading to thyroid issues.

    "If you are on the pill, consult with your MD to get info to get off. Get with a practitioner that does functional lab testing to get readings of your hormones, then get on bio-identical hormones to balance them out. It typically takes 6-12 months, but in the end, I see all symptoms that women get with PMS gone, a happier and more vital person, and I test with this another lab retest.

About 40% of women who take birth-control pills will have side effects of one kind or another during the first three months of use. The vast majority of women have only minor, transient side effects. Some of these side effects are: light bleeding between menstrual periods, skipped periods, nausea, weight change, bloating, increase in vaginal infections. Although it is difficult to predict whether a woman will develop one of these minor problems, a problem can often be eliminated by changing to a different birth-control pill. A spotty darkening of the skin on the face may appear and may be permanent.

The most serious side effect associated with the birth-control pill is a greater chance of blood clots, stroke and heart attack. These problems occur in only a small number of women who take the pill. Women who have the most risk of developing these problems are women who smoke, are over thirty-five and women with other health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart or vascular disease or blood cholesterol and triglyceride abnormalities. Other serious side effects are worsening of migraine headaches, gall bladder disease, increase in blood pressure and an extremely rare liver tumor. Some birth-control pills may cause changes in the levels of fatty substances in the blood. The long-term consequences of these changes are not known. Regular check-ups are important for early detection of these problems.

Certain drugs for epilepsy and tuberculosis, as well as certain antibiotics can reduce the effectiveness of the birth-control pill. St. John's Wort has also been known to reduce the effectiveness of oral contraceptives. A woman taking birth-control pills should always ask her healthcare provider about any possible effect on birth-control pill effectiveness when another drug is prescribed so that she can use an additional backup method of birth-control.



Is The Pill Playing Havoc With Your Mental Health?
28 October 2005
 From www.aphroditewomenshealth.com by Katherine Burnett-Watson

In August of 1960 the first contraceptive pill, Enovid, was launched for sale in the USA. The mass-marketing of the drug was so successful that within one year of the product’s launch, over 1 million American women were using it. Heralded as a revolutionary breakthrough in contraception, the pharmaceutical companies manufacturing the drug promised to give women control over their reproductive cycle and free them from unwanted pregnancy.

What the manufacturers failed to publicize, or failed to emphasize the seriousness of, were the many and varied side-effects. Mental and physiological conditions experienced by women while using “the Pill” were downplayed by the pharmaceutical companies, and much of the literature accompanying the drug packaging inferred that many of these negative side-effects could not be directly attributed to the contraceptive pill.

In 2005, 45 years after the first sale of the oral contraceptive pill, over 10 million American women now take one of the 35 brands available on the market. Although oral contraceptives are still the most popular form of hormonal contraception, recent developments over the last decade have seen the advent of hormonal patches, implants and injections as alternatives to the Pill.

Although there have been many developments in the way synthetic estrogens and progestins (the two synthetic hormones used in hormonal contraceptives) are combined in the medication, along with changes to dosage strengths and methods of administration, the prevailing fact that many women still experience negative side-effects from hormonal contraceptives has not been adequately addressed.

Although pharmaceutical companies now have warnings in their contraceptive packaging about side-effects that may be experienced, listing everything from “mild” symptoms of nausea, headaches, hirsutism and weight gain, to serious health problems like the increased chance of developing some cancers and osteoporosis, very little is said about a prevailing side-effect many women experience: depression.

Information in the 1960’s packaging of Enovid stated, “an occasional woman receiving Enovid may experience psychic depression, although the relationship of Enovid administration to such a response is by no means clear.” Almost half a century later, and the advice is not that different. Pharmaceutical company Pfizer has the following information about their oral contraceptive Demulen on their web site: “Women with a history of depression should be carefully observed and the drug discontinued if the depression recurs to a serious degree.”

Anecdotal evidence of depression, mood-swings, or feeling “blue” or “numb” while taking hormonal contraceptives is well-known: almost every woman who is familiar with hormonal birth control has either experienced these symptoms themselves or knows of someone who has. Until very recently, there has been little medical research to back-up such claims.

However, new research from Australia’s Monash University may change all that. Professor Jayashri Kulkarni from the University’s School of Psychology, Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine conducted a study in March 2005 that compared depression symptom scores between users and non-users of combined oral contraceptives.

Results showed women using the Pill had an average depression rating scale score of 17.6, compared to 9.8 in the non-user group. The women involved in the study were aged over 18, not pregnant or lactating, had no clinical history of depression and had not been on anti-depressant medication in the previous 12 months.

“This is an important study, as it helps us better understand the possible influences that the Pill or hormones may have on the mental health and well-being of users,” Professor Kulkarni said. “In turn, we hope to improve the quality of mental health care for women, and improve the development, understanding and use of contraception.”

Another source of information about the issue of hormonal contraceptives and mental health repercussions is an informal survey conducted by Aphrodite moderator Holi, via our contraception discussion board.

“I was suffering from terrible symptoms such as mood swings, crying at the drop of a hat and a general numb feeling about my whole life,” she said. “I found the site [Aphrodite] by typing into Google – ‘pill that does not make you crazy’, kind of as a joke, and here I found hundreds of women suffering from all my symptoms and more. I developed the survey to record how many women were experiencing the same symptoms as me.”

Holi’s survey found that 57 percent of respondents reported mood swings, 63 percent were irritable, 65 percent experienced irrational crying, and 69 percent felt anxious and depressed after taking hormonal contraceptives.

Furthermore, of the 66 percent of respondents who stopped taking hormonal contraceptives because of side-effects, nearly two-thirds noticed partial or complete recovery from their symptoms.

Other statistics from the survey revealed that 73 percent of respondents stated hormonal contraceptives had a negative impact on their lives, and over 50 percent of respondents who were taking anti-depressant medication were doing so to treat depression that occurred after beginning hormonal contraceptives.

Although Holi’s investigations were based only on an informal survey, and the results come mostly from women who discovered the survey in their search for information about negative side-effects they were already experiencing, the survey documents what many women have known for years: hormonal contraceptives can have a negative impact on your mental health.

Perhaps even more worrying than the number of survey respondents experiencing negative side-effects after taking hormonal contraceptives is the fact that nearly 70 percent of them claim they were not warned of the possible hazards by their doctors.

There is also evidence from the survey that indicated many women believe they were not taken seriously when speaking to their doctors about their symptoms. It appears that with no concrete medical evidence to prove otherwise, some doctors do not believe their patients claims of mental health problems experienced as a result of taking hormonal contraceptives.

But why is it so difficult to believe that hormonal contraceptives cause depression? Times of great hormonal change in a woman’s life, such as pregnancy and menopause, have been shown to cause emotional changes. Why then should the artificial manipulation of a woman’s hormones through the use of hormonal contraceptives been seen as any different?

Serotonin, a neurotransmitter in the brain that improves mood and helps promote sleep and relaxation, has been identified as a factor in depression. People with clinical depression have lower levels of brain serotonin, and many anti-depressant medications work by inhibiting the degradation, and thereby maintaining a high level, of serotonin in the brain.

Progestin is a synthetic version of the female hormone progesterone and is used in conjunction with synthetic estrogen in the combined pill, and on its own in the mini-pill. Progestin has been shown to promote the lowering of brain serotonin levels by increasing the concentration of a brain enzyme that reduces serotonin. Hormonal contraceptives like the mini pill and Depo-Provera (three month hormone shot) are progestin-only contraceptives, and are known to worsen the effects in women who are already depressed.

If scientific proof already exists regarding progestin exacerbating an existing condition of depression through the lowering of brain serotonin, is it so much of a leap to prove that progestin decreases the level of brain serotonin in a mentally healthy woman, thereby causing depression?

With new medical studies like Professor Kulkarni’s looking to provide a link between hormonal contraceptives and depression, there may soon be scientific proof that concurs with the anecdotal evidence given by women for the past 45 years. The question is, why has it taken almost half a century for these claims to be deemed important enough to warrant serious scientific investigation?

    * Allergic reaction: Itching or hives, swelling in your face or hands, swelling or tingling in your mouth or throat, chest tightness, trouble breathing.
    * Chest pain, shortness of breath, or coughing up blood.
    * Heavy vaginal bleeding.
    * Irregular or missed menstrual period.
    * Lumps in breast.
    * Nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, pain in your upper stomach.
    * Numbness or weakness in your arm or leg, or on one side of your body.
    * Pain in your lower leg (calf).
    * Rapid weight gain.
    * Sudden or severe headache, problems with vision, speech, or walking.
    * Swelling in your hands, ankles, or feet.
    * Yellowing of your skin or the whites of your eyes.
    * Bloated feeling.
    * Breast tenderness, pain, swelling, or discharge.
    * Changes in appetite, changes in weight
    * Contact lens discomfort.
    * Depression or mood changes.
    * Mild headache.
    * Mild skin rash or itching, or change in skin color.
    * Sensitivity to sunlight.
    * Stomach cramps.
    * Tiredness.
    * Vaginal spotting or light bleeding, itching, or discharge.
    * Possible increased risk for cancers

*Birth Control Patch The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has added a warning to the label on the birth control patch, stating that some women who use the product face a higher risk of blood clots.


The "Pill's" Dangers" Should Women Be Kept Ignorant?
(Food and Drug Administration policy on side effects of oral contraceptives)
From: Nutrition Health Review  |  Date: 3/22/1989

By a 6 to 4 vote, an advisory committee to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), including a number of obstetricians and gynecologists, recently voted not to change the current labeling of the birth control pill concerning the relationship between the pill and breast cancer. They argued that if women were informed of this new evidence they might change their contraceptive practices.

But the current doctor and patient labeling on the birth control pill is hopelessly out-of-date and gives the millions of American women who are current, past or future users of the pill a false sense of security with respect to the issue of the relationship between the birth control pill and breast cancer.

Despite a number of early and more recent studies which found no link between use of the pill and breast cancer, six studies in women in the last seven years, four of which were done in the last two years, have shown an association between the use of oral contraceptives and breast cancer in women whose diagnosis of breast cancer was made before the age of 45.

The conclusion which best summarizes the results of all of these findings is of researchers from Boston University, the University of Pennsylvania and Sloan Kettering whose study was limited to breast cancer in women diagnosed before the age of 45. They stated that: "[Our] results suggest that oral contraceptive users, particularly those with very long duration of use, may be at increased risk of breast cancer." They also said that "this study provides new evidence to suggest that the risk of breast cancer is increased among women below the age of 45 years who have used oral contraceptives. The risk appeared to be approximately doubled for use of less than ten years' duration and quadrupled for ten or more years of use."

CURRENT PILL LABELING
The current pill labeling, as seen in the 1989 Physicians' Desk Reference, gives different warnings or information for different pills but none of the brands has accurate information concerning the current state of knowledge about the pill and breast cancer. The most inaccurate of the current pill labels is that of Parke Davis, the maker of Loestrin and Norloestrin: "The overwhelming evidence in the literature suggests that use of oral contraceptives is not associated with an increase in the risk of developing breast cancer..."
Despite this clearly incorrect statement about the current state of knowledge regarding the pill and breast cancer, elsewhere in the label there is accurate mention about the good news concerning the pill and other reproductive tract cancers: "Oral contraceptive use may provide some protection against developing two forms of cancer: cancer of the ovaries and cancer of the lining of the uterus."

COPYRIGHT 1989 Vegetus Publications

Vincent Brannigan

Abstract  Recent epidemiological studies show a correlation between estrogen based oral contraceptives and breast cancer. In certain groups the studies indicate a two to four fold increase in breast cancer. The epidemiological data are bolstered by a well accepted connection between estrogens and breast cancer. The unique status of oral contraceptives and the special problem of breast cancer make this one of the first viable consumer ldquotoxic tortrdquo cases. Consumers in the United States who use oral contraceptives and develop breast cancer should be able to recover damages based on a theory of failure to warn.

Vincent Brannigan is Associate Professor of Consumer Law, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA. The author gratefully acknowledges the assistance of Christine Berg, Georgetown University, and Ruth Dayhoff, George Washington University, for their contributions to the medical analysis in this paper.




WND ENVIRONETDAILY

Environmentalists silent on threat from water tainted with estrogen
Posted: July 12, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com


While environmentalists are usually vocal about perceived threats ranging from pesticides to global warming, there is a silence when it comes to one threat already harming the water supply: hormones from birth-control pills.

According to the National Catholic Register, EPA-funded scientists at the University of Colorado studied fish in a mountain stream near Boulder, Colo., two years ago.

When they netted 123 trout and other fish downstream from the city's sewer plant, they found 101 were female, 12 were male, and 10 were strange "intersex" fish with male and female features.

It's "the first thing that I've seen as a scientist that really scared me," university biologist John Woodling told the Denver Post.


The Denver Post published this graphic in October 2004 featuring results of a study showing how fish near Boulder, Colo., had their sex impacted by estrogen from birth-control products in local waters. Figures were from the University of Colorado and the Colorado Division of Wildlife

The main culprits were found to be estrogens and other steroid hormones from birth-control pills and patches that ultimately ended up in the creek after being excreted in urine into the city's sewers.

The Register says Woodling, University of Colorado physiology professor David Norris, and the EPA team were among the first scientists in the U.S. to learn a cocktail of hormones, antibiotics, caffeine and steroids is flowing through the nation's waterways, threatening fish and contaminating drinking water.


Univ. of Colorado physiology professor David Norris

"Nobody is getting passionately concerned about it," Norris said. "It makes no sense to me at all that people aren't more concerned."

The problem is not just limited to Boulder. Similar stories have been reported from coast to coast.

In western Washington, experts found synthetic estrogen – commonly found in oral contraceptives – drastically reduces the fertility of male rainbow trout.

Doug Myers, wetlands and habitat specialist for Washington State's Puget Sound Action Team, told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer that in frogs, river otters and fish, scientists are "finding the presence of female hormones making the male species less male."

Two years after the Boulder findings, there has been no effort among environmentalists to stop the estrogen pollution of Boulder Creek.

Dave Georgis, director of the Colorado Genetic Engineering Action Network which has been vocal against genetically modified crops, said, "It just has so much competition out there for stuff to work on."

He told the Boulder Weekly nobody needed to think about cutting back on birth control for the creek's sake.

"You can't have a zero impact, and this is one of the many, many impacts we have on the environment in everyday life," Georgis said. "Nobody is to blame for this, and I don't have a solution."

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George Harden, a board member of the Society of Catholic Social Scientists, based in Steubenville, Ohio, says people should not hold their breath for action to be taken.

"If you're killing mosquitoes to save people from the West Nile virus, you can count on secular environmentalists to lay down in front of the vapor truck, claiming some potential side effect that might result from the spray," Harden told the Register. "But if birth control deforms fish – backed by the proof of an EPA study – and threatens the drinking supply, mum will be the word."

In New Jersey, traces of birth-control hormones and other prescription drugs were found in municipal tap water in 2003, and scientists were just beginning to look into the issue of impact on the human body.

Rebecca Goldburg, a New Jersey biologist working with Environmental Defense, told the North Jersey News: "I'm not sure I want even low levels of birth control pills in my daughter's drinking water."

Betty Ball of the Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice Center suggests people eat organic foods, but says asking them to stop polluting water with hormones "gets into the bedroom."

"I'm not going there," Ball said. "This involves people's personal lives, child bearing issues, sex lives and personal choices. Maybe people are saying, 'O my God, what do we do about this?' Apathy is the fear of sticking your toe in, for fear it will change your life. Sometimes positive change does require a change in lifestyle."

The issue is beginning to be talked about in some online blogs.

In ThePolitic.com, Shane Edwards writes, "To give this publicity would pit nature against consequence-free sex, and that just won't happen. But what disturbs me about this even more than the environmental impact (and the reality that this will NEVER be dealt with because of its political ramifications) is what this is doing to us. I mean, if these effects are happening with fish and frogs, what is happening to us?"

 
Birth control is any medically approved method of preventing pregnancy. Most methods of birth control do not protect against sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV. No method of birth control is considered 100% effective with the exception of abstinence.

The majority of birth control pills on the market, or other hormone based birth control, prevent pregnancy in a two step method. The first is the thickening of cervical mucous which makes it more difficult for the sperm to reach the egg for fertilization. The second step is the alteration is the uterus wall to prevent a fertilized egg from attaching to the uterus to begin to grow into a fetus. Hormonal based contraceptives work this way including birth control pills, the mini pill, injected birth control, birth control patches, and hormone based birth control rings.


Hormone based birth control does not protect against sexually transmitted disease or HIV. There is a risk of side effects associated with birth control, including stroke. Smokers over the age of 35 are at a high risk for stroke when using a hormone based birth control method.
 
Condoms are considered 98% effective in preventing pregnancy and protecting against sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV. Condoms prevent the semen from entering a woman’s body by trapping it in the tip of the condom. While condoms are not foolproof, they are considered one of the best forms of sexual protection because they significantly reduce the risk of transferring sexually transmitted diseases.

Female condoms, there is only one on the market, is considered to protect against both pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. There has not been adequate usage of this product to determine its effectiveness. Testing has been positive, and the female condom presents a new possibility in sexual protection. The female condom may be placed in the vagina up to 24 hours before use.

Surgical methods of sterilization are birth control methods which are typically used by those who are positive they do not want children or want any more children. In men, a vasectomy is a simple procedure that prevents sperm from contaminating his ejaculation. A woman can have a tubal ligation, which permanently prevents ovulation. Surgical methods of birth control are considered 99% effective for pregnancy prevention but are not effective in protecting against sexually transmitted disease or HIV.