Sunday, June 14, 2009

How Safe is the Pill?

What percentage of American females would you guess have used a form of oral contraceptive? 30%? Way too low. 55%? Still not even close. According to the American College of cardiology, the answer is about 80%. It's a wonder that more people don't ask 'How Safe is the Pill?' before taking it. It seems nowadays the pill is taken for granted, in my opinion.

There are stacks of research out there touting the dangers of the pill, and the multiple effects on those who take it. Ranging from increased chances of blood clots to cancers to sexual dysfunction, the pill's whole purpose is to mess with a woman's hormone levels and basically change the chemistry of her being...is it any surprise that it will cause a problem?

Take a look at Dr. Mercola's article 'How Safe is the Pill?' (if it prompts you to register before you can see the website, feel free to use my email address 'hilltopchiro AT gmail.com ) and then do a little research yourself - do a quick google search of "side effects of the pill" or "oral contraceptive side effects." I got about 12 million links to peruse on my first search - take special note of which sites support the use of the pill - it's interesting to see who sponsor's those websites (hint: although sometimes a drug company will sponsor the website, it's more often a less-obvious campaign - for example, drug companies will be the primary contributor to a company called Women's Health First, which strongly encourages use of the pill, but on the exterior, looks like an independent organization promoting the safety and efficacy of the pill...just an example).

Leave your comments and questions - I'd love to hear them.

In Health,
Dr. Scott
www.hilltopwellness.com

2 comments:

  1. Wouldn't mind hearing your opinion on BC next time I'm in. Maggie (the woman) and I have started talking about the issue, because we don't necessarily want to start having kids when we first get married because we want to go overseas for a few years.

    ReplyDelete
  2. No problem - if I forget to bring it up, please feel free to do so. I'll try to have some information for you, too...there's a good chance I won't have anything, but I'll try.

    ReplyDelete