Ovarian Cancer: Hormonal birth control offers benefits beyond pregnancy prevention
More than 80% of U.S. women will use hormonal contraception during their lifetime.
Hormonal contraceptives (birth control pills, patches and implants) are effective in treating menstruation-related disorders such as dysmenorrhea and heavy menstrual bleeding, as well as preventing unplanned pregnancies, according to a new report from The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
Pregnancy prevention is the primary reason that most women use hormonal contraception. However, contraceptives are also frequently prescribed for non-contraceptive reasons.
Researchers found that birth control pills containing both estrogen and a progestin appear to reduce the risk of developing endometrial, ovarian cancer, and colorectal cancer. The longer a woman uses the birth control pill, the lower her risk for developing endometrial and ovarian cancer later in life. The pill also seems to offer some short-term protection against colorectal cancer among current or recent users.
Birth control pills, the single-rod progestin implant, and progestin intrauterine device (IUD) were shown to help reduce severe menstrual pain (dysmenorrhea). Dysmenorrhea affects up to 90% of young women and is a leading cause of women missing school and work.
A variety of hormonal contraceptives are also useful in treating excessive menstrual bleeding, which, if left untreated, can lead to anemia.
All forms of birth control that contain both estrogen and a progestin have the potential to improve excess hair growth (hirsutism) and acne because they suppress production of the male hormone, androgen. Progestin-only contraception is not normally beneficial for acne.
Other potential benefits of hormonal contraceptives include prevention of menstrual migraines with extended-cycle regimens, treatment of pelvic pain due to endometriosis, and treatment of bleeding due to uterine fibroids.
When it comes to the treatment of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), there was no difference between birth control pills containing different progestins or between monophasic and triphasic preparations. The intravaginal contraceptive ring also reported similar improvements in PMS compared to birth control pills. Another helpful approach to PMS appears to be use of extended cycle or continuous birth control pill regimens.
Source: Examiner.com
