Birth control pills have been popular since the 1960s, and today they are relied upon by more than half of all women using a reversible method of birth control. Over the years, a tremendous amount of research has been done on their effects, but despite the large body of knowledge available, scientists are still at work investigating such things as the association between OCs and breast cancer.
Even if you think you're well informed about oral contraceptives, take this quick true/false quiz to determine your "Pill I.Q.":
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The Pill works by destroying the egg once it is released from the ovary.
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Taking the Pill too long makes it difficult for most women to conceive; it may even cause them to become sterile.
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A woman should take a short break from the Pill after she has used it for five years.
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Women over 35 years old should not take the Pill.
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Taking the Pill can lead to many types of cancer, including ovarian and endometrial cancer.
If you answered false to all these statements, you know more about the Pill than a great many people. A recent Gallup poll of over 1,000 American women aged 18 to 44 found that knowledge is sorely lacking about this widespread method of birth control. For example, one-quarter of the survey's respondents believed that the Pill works by killing the egg, when in fact it inhibits egg production altogether.
Taking OCs for many years poses no increased risk of infertility, as was believed by 45 percent of the respondents. Experts say women don't need to take a break from the Pill, even after using it for long periods of time.
Forty-three percent of those interviewed said that women over age 35 shouldn't take OCs. However, the truth is that healthy nonsmoking women can use OCs all the way through menopause without any detriment to health.
More importantly, very few women interviewed for this poll knew that the Pill can actually protect women from certain health problems, including some types of cancer. Although it is clearly stated on the Pill package insert, less than 20 percent of women polled knew that the Pill helps reduce the incidence of ovarian and endometrial cancer, ovarian cysts, and benign cysts of the breast.
The Pill is not right for all women because, despite its beneficial effects, it is also associated with some risks. Doctors usually advise women likely to suffer from heart attacks, strokes, or blood clotsespecially those who smoketo choose some other type of contraception. Several other conditions, such as hypertension, diabetes, or sickle cell disease, also make Pill-taking risky.