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Birth Control

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Submitted By softball95
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Kelsey Knepper
Prof. Cousin
ENGL 1613-8am class
13 October 2014
Birth Control Pills Birth control pills are used widely by women all over the world. On average, about 150 million women use birth control worldwide. Only five out of one hundred women each year who use this method are likely to get pregnant. In the United States, 62% of women use a form of contraception, and about 10.5 million of those women use birth control pills. Many women also use birth control pills to control and reduce cramping during the menstrual cycle, prevent acne, and develop stronger bones. Unfortunately, what many women do not realize is, is that birth control pills can also be very harmful to a women’s body. Birth control should be taken out of the general public to prevent women from becoming unhealthy. Birth control should be removed from public consumption because it can cause different kinds of cancer, blood clots, gall bladder disease, benign liver tumors, strokes, and high blood pressure. First off, birth control pills can cause a variety of cancers. Cancers such as breast cancer and cervical cancer may develop from taking the pill.
Breast cancer is a major cancer that can develop from taking birth control pills. According to one article, “a 1996 analysis of epidemiologic data from more than 50 states worldwide by the Collaborative Group on Hormonal Factors in Breast Cancer found that women who were current or recent users of birth control pills had a slightly higher risk of developing breast cancer than women who have never used the pill” (Oral). Teenage girls especially are at a very high risk to develop breast cancer because they started taking the pill so early in their lives. Many researchers think that because the hormonal level in the birth control pills are so high, it will increase a women’s chance for breast cancer. Also, longer use of the pill seems to make the chances of developing breast cancer much higher. Studies show that different formulations of birth control pills with high levels of estrogen will most likely cause breast cancer compared to other types of pills. There are many different kinds of formulations for birth control pills. Some contain lots of progesterone. Others may contain lots of estrogen. Others may also have both or equal amounts. Not all formulations are harmful, but if a woman is not careful about which formulation she chooses, breast cancer can be a result. Overall, birth control pill used within the last year was associated with a 50 percent increased risk of breast cancer risk compared with former use or no use of birth control pills, Beaber found. On the other hand, if a woman stops taking the pill, the chances of developing breast cancer will greatly decrease. The chance to develop breast cancer while taking the pill, especially at a young age, is increased. This fact should not be taken lightly. Another cancer than can develop from taking birth control pills is cervical cancer. In a newly published study, a woman who takes birth control pills for five years or more has a doubled chance of developing cervical cancer compared to women who do not take birth control at all. Research also shows though that the discontinuation of birth control pills will automatically lower the risk of getting cervical cancer. Doctors strongly recommend women who are taking birth control pills to get regular screenings to help prevent cervical cancer but this cancer can be avoided by not even using birth control. Taking birth control pills can also cause blood clots in women. Blood clots are extremely dangerous because they can travel to anywhere in the body and relocate anywhere, such as the lungs. There are other factors along with taking birth control that contribute to blood clots forming. If a woman smokes and takes birth control pills at the same time, blood clots may begin to start forming. Also, women who are very overweight and are sedentary along with taking the pill will have an increased chance of developing blood clots. Other factors that may increase a woman’s chance of developing clots are being over the age of 35 years old, being a diabetic, having a blood-clotting disorder based on genetics, or having an elevated cholesterol level. There are several warning signs that a clot may be forming due to birth control pills. Someone may experience abdominal pain, chest pain along with shortness of breath, persistent headaches that cause dizziness or weakness, eye problems that cause blurred vision, and extreme leg pain that may cause soreness in the calves or thighs. If a woman were to develop blood clots, they would most likely form during the first year of starting the birth control pill. Blood clots are a serious risk when taking birth control pills and anyone who experiences any of the above symptoms should seek medical attention immediately. By discontinuing the use of the pill will automatically drop the risk of blood clots. Along with developing different types of cancers and blood clots, gall bladder disease can also form in women from taking birth control pills. According to one study, reported in Canadian Medical Association Journal, 2.7 million women who used birth control between the years of 1997 and 2009, had their gall bladders removed. Being obese while on the pill will also increase a women’s chance of developing gall bladder disease. There is not a huge chance of a woman developing gall bladder disease from the pill, but it should be taken into consideration. Stopping the pill all together would eliminate the chance of getting gall bladder cancer. Benign liver tumors can also develop due to taking birth control pills. There are three major different benign liver tumors that can develop. Hemangioma, focal nodular hyperplasia, and hepatocellular adenoma are the three most common types of benign liver tumors. Hepatocellular adenoma is the common tumor that is linked to birth control pills. These tumors may enlarge in women who take birth control pills so doctors will most likely have the patient stop taking the pill. These tumors are not deadly but can be avoided by not taking the pill at all. Stroke can also occur in women who take birth control pills. Stokes for women can be influenced by hormones, reproductive health, pregnancy, childbirth and other sex-related factors, according to neurologist Cheryl Bushnell, M.D. Women who use birth control have a doubled risk of having a stroke compared to women who do not take the pill. Strokes are also the third-leading cause of deaths for women. For example, “in the United Kingdom, 18-year-old beauty queen Georgie Holland suffered a stroke and partial blindness after taking the oral contraceptive Yasmin, which is heavily marketed to young girls. The teen spent a week in the hospital, suffered permanent damage to her vision, and must now take daily blood thinners to prevent another stroke. Her doctors blame the birth control pill for her ordeal” (Anderson). Birth control pills can have a nasty effect on women, and strokes are nothing to mess around with. One last negative outcome of taking birth control pills is high blood pressure. A common hormone found in birth control pills is called progesterone and can affect blood pressure. “The mechanism by which this occurs is complicated, but involves both hormone cascades and direct effect on small blood vessels” (Weber). These effects can cause a women’s blood pressure to rise while on the pill. There are several other factors, along with taking the pill, may contribute to high blood pressure. If a woman has a family history of high blood pressure, that may affect her. Also, if a woman has a high blood pressure history before pregnancy, that can also affect her chances of high blood pressure. Heart problems and blood vessel problems can contribute to high blood pressure also. High blood pressure is a serious issue and should not be taken lightly. Birth control pills can cause a women’s blood pressure to increase and should discuss other options with their doctor besides taking the pill. On the other hand, many people may argue that birth control pills should not be taken out of the general public. There are various reasons why people believe birth control pills have a positive effect on society. First off, it reduces unwanted and ill-times childbearing. If people do not want kids or they are waiting to have them, birth control pills are a very common answer to that problem. Also, family size will decrease. If a family has a lot of kids, each child will most likely not get a lot of time spent with them by the parents. That is not healthy for the child. Another reason is if a family is poor and cannot afford to have kids, many couples will turn to birth control pills to avoid having kids. There are obviously a lot of people who believe that birth control should not be banned because it helps a lot with deciding when to have kids or not to have kids at all. In conclusion, developing different kinds of cancer, blood clots forming, gall bladder disease developing, benign liver tumors forming, strokes occurring, and high blood pressure are all reasons why birth control pills should be taken off the market. Although birth control pills do prevent pregnancy, the risks are defiantly not worth it. Avoiding taking birth control pills is a huge step in keeping women safe worldwide. Many women do not realize the risks of taking birth control and what it can do to their body. They will most likely look into the positive effects of birth control and avoid all the dangerous effects of the pill. Hopefully, one day, birth control pills will be banned for good, and more women will be healthy and not become ill or even die from the unfortunate effects of the pill. Works Cited
Anderson, Kirsten. "Hormonal Contraceptives Nearly Double Stroke Risk in Women: American Heart Association." LifeSiteNews. N.p., 7 Feb. 2014. Web. 12 Oct. 2014.
"Oral Contraceptives and Cancer Risk." National Cancer Institute. N.p., 21 Mar. 2012. Web. 10 Oct. 2014.
Weber, Craig. "Can Your Birth Control Impact High Blood Pressure?" About. N.p., 4 June 2014. Web. 12 Oct. 2014.

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