October is breast cancer awareness month.
Have you been taking birth control pills? If yes, you should be extra cautious as long-term use of these pills might put you at risk of breast cancer. Oral contraceptives are the most preferred and simple option to prevent unwanted pregnancies. And this is why most women prefer these pills over other measures of contraception. But you should also know that birth control pills can put you at risk of breast cancer.
A study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology revealed that women using oral contraceptives, particularly those using them for a long period, are at an increased risk of breast cancer. However, this doesn’t imply that short-term use of oral contraceptives is safe. Another study involving 963 breast cancer cases showed that women who used oral contraceptives before menopause or 40 years of age had a 50% higher risk of developing breast cancer. The risk was even higher in women with a family history of breast cancer.
This is because oral contraceptives contain high levels of estrogen, a hormone that plays a key role in maintaining the menstrual cycle. However, high levels of this hormone not only initiate an abnormal cell division in the breast but also trigger other hormones to do the same. This in turn makes you susceptible to breast cancer. Hence, it is pertinent that you consult your gynaecologist before consuming oral contraceptives. And if you have been using them for a while, get yourself tested for breast cancer at the earliest. Find out how how to do a breast self-examination to check for cancer.
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For more articles on breast cancer visit our breast cancer section. For daily free health tips, sign up for our newsletter. For health related Q&A, click here!