Women, health, and oral contraceptives
Wednesday, January 30th, 2008Recently, The Lancet journal published an editorial suggesting that the use of oral contraceptives (estrogen and progestin, or progestin alone), can result in reduced rates of ovarian cancer in women. The authors suggest that the longer the woman uses oral contraceptives the lower the risk of having ovarian cancer. Additionally, the authors of the editorial “…strongly endorse more widespread over-the-counter access to a preventive agent that can not only prevent cancers but also demonstrably save the lives of tens of thousands of women”.
It is not entirely clear as to what the authors are really suggesting…although, my understanding is that women should consider this as a viable option for themselves.
On the contrary, what is critical to note is that there are other risks associated with the use of these oral contraceptives, more specifically, it puts women at increased risk of having other cancers, including those of the breast and/or cervical tissues.
To me, the idea of taking exogenous hormones on a daily basis for many years as a way of prevention is absurd. There are instances when a woman may need to have ongoing care that includes hormones, but not as a way of long-term prevention of possible cancer.
Most women, and people in general, are already exposed to exogenous hormones daily, via our food sources, our environment, our water, and others. THIS is the real issue. Secondly, the body has an incredible ability to heal itself, as long as it receives proper balance. True prevention lies in how people manifest and cultivate balance on a daily basis, and not what their level of hormone intake is. It is the choices of a daily living that contribute to the body’s ability to express, maintain, and adjust its proper and adequate levels of hormones. It is these types of hormonal balances that lead to prevention.


