Anyone else alarmed by today's news about long-term use of the contraceptive pill?

[BigBeeristheBigBeer]

The news today is full of good news about how the pill cuts the risk of cancer. The Times says though that "The exception was for women who had used the pill for more than eight years ... Their risk of cancer was significantly increased". I've been on the pill on and off for a total of about 12 years .

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I'm seriously thinking of coming of it. Though I know what'll happen if I do!

coming OFF it

i heard this too and am worried. i have been on it on and off for 13 years and intended to stay on it until i begin trying for another baby. i hope this doesnt lead to lots of people stopping taking it and then falling pg by accident, like happened with the last pill scare.
anyone got any links to some sound info?

I can't believe more people haven't been talking about this (or have I missed another thread somewhere?).

I'm fairly traumatised at this news as I've been on the pill for 15 years now (with two breaks of around 12-13 months each for our two children).

I love the way they just put it into the articles as if it was just a couple of people who would be affected by this when in reality I reckon a huge number of women will be in this camp.

aren't studies like this rather circumstantial though? i mean loads of women take the pill..and loads of women get cancer..so therefore lots of the women who get cancer will have been or are on the pill.

The scare stories about the pill come round time and again, but when I asked at the FPC (some years ago) they said the risks were very small, and the pill has benefits too, as Dior says.

If you'worried, and are in a LTR, why not use the old rubbers? Not like the pill, of course, but you kind of get used to them and it stops the nagging worry about risks.

I've just come off it this week, having been on it 8 years before DS & 17 years after DD - the break in between was about 4 years - got pregnant almost at once, bf DS, got pregnant again, bf DD - all in all I've hardly had a 'normal' cycle for almost 30 years - I do wonder what kind of risk all that adds up to.

I came off just before we decided to have dd2. I chose not to go back on it shortly after as I decided I didnt like the idea of messing with body plus the weight gain etc. I think the risks are swings and roundabouts. Ups risk on one thing lowers on another. Using alternatives are a pain at first but you soon get used to it and I think im better off without interferring with nature iygwim

The last time there was a scare like this there was a big spike in the abortion rate as women panicked . As I understand it, the "significantly increased risk" is still tiny in the scheme of things.

We do many things that significantly increase our risk of certain cancers. I think the media are very cavalier in the way they report these things.