The pill reduces fertility

Recent studies have shown that the oral contraceptive pill (OCP) reduces fertility in women. Yet for years doctors have been telling women that it doesn't. They even attributed the lower fertility to older age, low sperm count etc.

And now more and more younger women (in their teens) are starting on the pill.....this certainly would affect them in the long term.

Don't get me wrong, I am not anti birth control. I am totally for it...but birth control that has long term negative consequences...that's not right.

I have also heard arguments against this that OCP does not cause infertility, but in the cases of the women I've known with fertility problems-they've all taken OCP for long periods of time. My aunt was on OCP for over 15 years, and had miscarriage after miscarriage-too many to even count. After being off of the pill for about 7 years she finally had some success of getting pregnant. My hairdresser and close family friend has also suffered with fertility problems, and she too was on the pill for over 15 years. She did succeed in having one daughter with invetro-after about a dozen or so miscarriages. She tried to birth again recently with invetro, but was unsuccessful. I am a young woman myself (on my fiance's account), and all of my closest friends are on the pill. I'm not trying to sway anyones' personal decisions on taking the pill, but I have told them my point of view-with the people I have known taking it long term-and that I think personally the pill prevented these women from having healthy fertility. I myself do not plan on taking the OCP for this reason, although effective-I do not want to risk my chances of having children.



[edit on 27-7-2005 by Vorta]

Could you show us the studies to which you're referring, hellfire?

I've read cases which would support either theory; reduced fertility or normal fertility returning after stopping the pill.

We do know that being on the pill for long periods can increase the risk of heart disease and certain types of cancer; and conversely, it also actually reduces the risks of some other types of cancer.

BCP & cancer

Excerpt 1:

The results indicated that the risk of breast cancer was significantly increased for women ages 20 to 34 who had used OCs for at least 6 months; Although also elevated, the risk was weaker for women over age 35 and those who used OCs for longer periods of time.

Excerpt 2:

Studies have consistently shown that using OCs reduces the risk of ovarian cancer. In a 1992 analysis of 20 studies of OC use and ovarian cancer, researchers from Harvard Medical School found that the risk of ovarian cancer decreased with increasing duration of OC use.

It comes down to educating ourselves; there are many risks (and many benefits) associated with oral contraceptives (as with any form of hormonal birth control), and it never hurts to do as much research as we can, before we go ahead with this or any other form of treatment

I have a couple of friends that were on the depo shot for a long period of time, and they have been unable to conceive too.

I have no idea why anyone would want to put that much stuff into her body is beyond me…

Originally posted by nikki9972
I have a couple of friends that were on the depo shot for a long period of time, and they have been unable to conceive too.

I have no idea why anyone would want to put that much stuff into her body is beyond me…

Because it's a relatively easy, very reliable way of not conceiving, that doesn't rely upon another party taking responsibility...



There are also so many other reasons why fertility can be reduced - yes, even in young women. I'm sure hormonal bc represents a goodly amount of cases, but it'd be imprudent to blame it for all cases; sometimes infertility truly is idiopathic; we really just don't know (and of course, it's often the other party who's infertifle).

Tinkleflower-

Have you ever read the side effects the depo causes? I refuse to put any of that crap into my body. I rather use condoms… Besides I think both partners should take responsibility.

Originally posted by nikki9972
Tinkleflower-

Have you ever read the side effects the depo causes? I refuse to put any of that crap into my body. I rather use condoms… Besides I think both partners should take responsibility.

Erm, yes, I have. Thanks

I tend to follow this reasoning:

It's up to me, as the patient, to fully understand (as much as possible), the substances I put into my body. This goes for food, medicine, contraceptives - the works.

I don't believe anyone disputed the common sense of both partners taking responsibility; you simply asked a question, and I offered an answer.

Virtually every medicine in use on this planet has side effects - it's up to the consumer to decide whether the benefits outweigh those side effects (and that's assuming that the following is common knowledge: there's no guarantee that a side effect listed on a drug package insert is actually caused by the drug, or that the patient will actually experience said side effect - but that's entirely different topic, and one already discussed on another thread).

Obviously you're doing the right thing - taking charge of things yourself. That's the common goal, isn't it? To have everyone taking responsibility for their own wellbeing?

I am a 23 yr old woman on the pill for about 1 year. originally i started for birth control, but am not currently sexually active and I will continue to take this pill, as it eases my "cramps" about 100%. If you have a headache, most will take a medication to relieve the pain. Birth control should be called " pain control". If you are not a woman, you do not understand the pain. As for the fertility issue, when i go off the pill(even the 1st month), my body goes right back to my regular cycle, which means my body did release the egg and along comes "heavy" flow, and PAIN!!!!!!!!!!

You can have a regular cycle with no egg released. And fertility is not all about releasing an egg. There is also fertilization of the egg and implantation and development from there. No one is denying that the pill has some other effects that women find beneficial (eg: pain control, acne control, birth control, regulating periods, for menorrhagia) but there can also be some side effects that you should be fully informed and aware of...DVT/PE, weight gain, reduced fertility, ?increased risk of breast cancer, severe migraines.

Originally posted by TinkleflowerObviously you're doing the right thing - taking charge of things yourself. That's the common goal, isn't it? To have everyone taking responsibility for their own wellbeing?

Yes it is, which means women don't have to do EVERYTHING, including take riskful things, part of taking care of our wellbeing means shoving a condom on a guys if he's too incompetent to do it himself.

Originally posted by hellfire3
Recent studies have shown that the oral contraceptive pill (OCP) reduces fertility in women.

What recent studies??

Don't get me wrong, I am not anti birth control. I am totally for it...but birth control that has long term negative consequences...that's not right.

Then don't use it. Obviously it should still be available for everyone else.

Originally posted by hellfire3
The pill reduces fertility

Most contraceptives do.