Birth Control
According to studies published in the last few years, the hormones that come as part of hormonal birth control may increase your risk of getting breast cancer.
What’s the risk?
An risk of developing breast cancer was found among users of hormonal birth control pills, contraceptive patches, and vaginal rings. The increased risk was also found in women who used progestin-only implants and hormonal IUDs.
The products, which used different types of hormones, were all linked to increased risk. Yes, study authors found that all hormonal methods — including progestin, whether used alone or in combination — raised breast cancer risk.
The study followed women in Denmark for around ten years of their lives and have data that show that using hormonal birth control may lead to an extra 13 instances of cancer among every 100,000 women who used some kind of hormonal contraception for a year. This may not seem like a large increase, but if you’re a careful person, it may spur you to make some changes.
What are the alternatives?
Thankfully, there are methods of birth control that do not contain hormones. Though the risk is very, very small, it might be worth asking your doctor whether you should switch to a nonhormonal option, such as a barrier method or the copper IUD, which don’t have hormones.
If you’re interested in learning more about breast cancer and how we can help, please contact us at (928) 537-6937 to schedule an appointment.
