EASY WAY #2
Avoid birth control drugs & hormone replacement (HRT) drugs
Use safer and more effective alternatives
Numerous international and U.S. epidemiological studies indicate that using contraceptive drugs increases a woman’s risk of developing invasive breast cancers. Studies published in recent years indicate that two groups of women face a higher than average risk of developing invasive breast cancers while they are using these drugs.
Are you in one or both of these higher risk groups?
- You have never had a full-term pregnancy (no matter what your age), but you are using a contraceptive drug
- You are over 40 years old and are using a contraceptive drug
Contraceptive and HRT drugs classified as carcinogenic
The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies estrogen-progestin combination drugs used in birth control drugs and in hormone replacement drugs as a Group 1 Carcinogen for breast, cervical and liver cancers. This is WHO’s highest classification of carcinogenicity, used only when there is sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity in humans.
Drug companies continue to mislead women who use contraceptive drugs:
Those inserts or printed sheets found in birth control drug packets include outdated and misleading information regarding known links between oral contraceptives and invasive breast cancer. For example:
- Junel Fe 21 Day and Kariva inserts: Barr Labs lists oral contraceptive research from 1963 to 1986 instead of more recently published studies.
- Ocella inserts: Bayer Labs does not cite a single research study to back up the numerous misleading statements they make regarding oral contraceptives and breast cancer risks.
- What statements & studies are mentioned in your birth control insert?
What are safer and more effective alternatives to using birth control drugs?
- If you want to have children: The Paragard, a hormone free IUD is safer and more effective than using birth control drugs. For women who now have heavy periods, using a Mirena IUD may be recommended. IUDs are reversible forms of birth control.
- If you do not want to have children: Women can have a tubal ligation or their male partners can have a vasectomy. These are both permanent contraceptive procedures.
Profits are their most important product
Contraceptive drugs are currently a $4 billion a year market in the United States. Barr/DuraMed, Bayer, Johnson and Johnson and other pharmaceutical companies stand to lose billions in annual profits as women stop refilling their monthly birth control drug prescriptions. In order to keep profits high, these companies will continue to spend hundreds of millions of dollars each year trying to convince American women that birth control drugs are helpful, safe, fun, sexy — you name it.
Hormone replacement (HRT) drugs linked to increased risk for breast cancer
Sales of the HRT drugs, Premarin and Prempo dropped by 60% in 2002 when the National Women’s Health Initiative showed that HRT drugs increased a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer by 26%. Twenty million women stopped filling their HRT prescriptions overnight; Sales dropped from $2 billion to $1 billion in the following year. Subsequently, by the end of 2003, U.S. cancer rates for estrogen positive breast cancer in post menopausal women had dropped by 15% where they have remained to date for this group of older women.
Why are breast cancer rates in the U.S. increasing again?
Current increases in U.S. breast cancer rates appear to be happening because more and more younger or premenopausal women are developing various types of invasive breast cancers and as more and more women over 45 develop triple negative and other types of estrogen negative breast cancers.
Birth Control & HRT Articles
Oral Contraceptives linked to 4-fold increase in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer in Women Under 45 years old, Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention Jessica M Dolle, et al. Feb 2009.
Medical Papers by Ghostwriters Pushed Therapy, New York Times, August 5, 2009
Decrease in Breast Cancer Rates Related to Reduction in use of HRT: overall review, National Cancer Institute April, 2007.
The Decrease in Breast Cancer Incidence in 2003 in the United States, New England Journal of Medicine, Ravdin M, Cronin KA, Howlader N, Berg CD, Chlebowski RT, Feuer EJ, Edwards BK, Berry DA, Vol. 356, No.16. April 19, 2007
Oral Contraceptive Use and Breast Cancer Risk: Current Status; editorial, Mayo Clinic Proceedings, Oct 2006.
Oral Contraceptive Use as a Risk Factor for premenopausal Breast Cancer: A meta Analysis:, Kahlenborn, et al, Oct 2006.
Breast cancer rates linked to drug company profits, Worker's World, Minnie Bruce Pratt, Oct 2006.
State of the Evidence: The Connection Between Breast Cancer and the Environment: 2010. Read about the recent research linking birth control drugs and breast cancer. State of the Evidence is produced by the non profit, non commercial and independent Breast Cancer Fund. Visit their website to download or request a free hard copy.