What about cancer?

The Pill does affect your risk of certain types of cancer, and when you first decide to go on it, you should be told about this.

But it’s important for you to realise that the Pill actually reduces your chances of getting some cancers – while it increases the risk of others. As far as we know at the present (2005).

The Pill reduces your chance of getting:

cancer of the ovary

cancer of the womb (the endometrium)

possibly cancer of the bowel – a 60 per cent reduction in risk has been claimed, though this is still not proven.

The Pill increases your risk of getting:

breast cancer

cervical cancer – though this is almost entirely preventable by regular smear tests

liver cancer – though this is very rare.

The increase in breast cancer risk is now believed to be around 25 per cent - while you are actually on the Pill. But after you stop using the oral contraceptive, the risk soon reduces. Ten years after stopping the Pill, your risk is about the same as anyone else’s.