Ask Dr. Kate: Does the pill increase your risk of cervical cancer?

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  Posted by met Mon Sep 29, 2008 2:07pm PDT

  Optiva, you must be a man, because no woman in their right mind would ever say something as stupid as you just did. Each woman is different and the pains one endures during their period in each of us. Has nothing to do with chemicals or attitudes or the health care systems, this is a biological issue that each woman deals with every month in their own different ways. Don't condemn and I hope your periods are not painful and heavy like those of us.

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  Posted by met Mon Sep 29, 2008 2:08pm PDT

  browngirl411, optiva is probably a scientologist, they don't believe drugs are the answer either.

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  Posted by DeAnn Mon Sep 29, 2008 3:01pm PDT

  Women need to worry less about cervical cancer and more about breast cancer. I believe my generation will have pandemic levels of breast cancer due to the excess estrogen exposure in the pill. Progestin-only therapy ("the shot") does not pose this risk because it is synthetic pregnancy hormone. It is the combined estrogen pill that is dangerous. The more your body is exposed to estrogen, the higher your risk for estrogen-mediated breast cancer. Estrogen receptors in mammary tissue are extremely sensitive 17-beta-estradiol, a breakdown component of natural and synthetic estrogens.

  On the flip side, your risk of certain ovarian and uterine cancers is lowered with exposure to more estrogen. So, if you have a history of uterine/ovarian cancer in your family and not breast cancer, you might consider taking the pill to protect yourself. If the case is the opposite, where you have breast cancer in your family but not uterine or ovarian, stay away from the combined pill.

  Either way, get to your doctor every year and get that pap smear and mammogram. Early detection is the key to cancer survival.

  And yes, several strains of HPV cause cancer. A vaccine has been developed against two of them. So, it is also wise for all sexually active women to get this vaccine. It's not total protection, just like condoms are not total protection, but it does lower risk, and that is what is important.

  If you EVER get a chance, take a college Endocrinology class. It will blow your mind.

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  Posted by Chris D Mon Sep 29, 2008 3:38pm PDT

  Optiva,

  You shouldn't be talking or even commenting on topics you haven't dealt with, or have no idea about. If you think mother nature fixes everything, try living with pain for 10+ years and see if you can wait for mother nature to fix it...then MAYBE, you can say something about mother nature fixing things.

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  Posted by Mon Sep 29, 2008 3:44pm PDT

  I'm 31 and I've been on the pill since I was 15. When I first went on the pill I was getting them through Planned Parenthood and in order to get them, you had to get a full pap work-up every year. This is part of the prevention of cervical cancer. Also, there are studies that show that because you don't actually get a period on the pill you are less likely to develop cervical cancer.

  Woman are not actually supposed to get a period every month, that is part of the reason why there is an increase in cervical and ovarian cancers. Also, genetics plays a large part in getting cancer. There are lots of medical journal and anthropological journal articles on this subject.

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  Posted by Mon Sep 29, 2008 3:58pm PDT

  Hi Iam 37 years old , I don't like pills cause I was told about gaining w. any way is that correct?

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  Posted by grahamgirl Mon Sep 29, 2008 4:44pm PDT

  Optiva, your comments give all women a bad rap. As a woman who has never been on the pill, do to family history, some women myself included have terrible periods. The bloat, pain, emotional rollercoaster of feelings to name a few. I have been dealing with this for almost 30 years and probably another 10 to 12, there are days when I would give almost anything to not have to go through this. I have friends who have gone ahead and had a hysterectomy because of all of these problems that you seem to believe are a result of man made drugs. If you have been lucky enough to not have had any problems with you periods thank who ever you pray to for your good luck and leave the rest of us in peace.

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  Posted by Raynie8 Mon Sep 29, 2008 4:49pm PDT

  Sherigreg, if you're interested in a tubal, consider Essure. (It will come up when you put it in a search engine.

  Optiva, you pretty much have insulted anyone who has gone through these issues, whether they are on the pill or not. Your comments are ignorant. Look around you. Someday you or someone you love could fall ill and need medical intervention. Maybe then you'll wake up and realize natural/mother nature, while a nice concept, is rarely the answer.

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  Posted by JoKTM Mon Sep 29, 2008 8:41pm PDT

  Elsie some people do gain weight on the pill not all.It can also increase your chance of getting a blood clot your chances raise if you are a smoker.

  The pill can also clear up your face,reduce migranes,reduce bloating, regulate, lighten and shorten your period and decrease your cramping.I am 27 and have been on it since I was 16 and have not gained weight or have had any problems.

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  Posted by Megan Mon Sep 29, 2008 8:56pm PDT

  I had the Gardasil shot (well, actually, a series of three shots ) a little over a year ago because my boyfriend caught HPV from his girlfriend at the time who was cheating on him and she had passed the virus onto him [my boyfriend]--whatta gem, huh??? Anyway, about a month and-a-half earlier I had been diagnosed with HSV Type I (Genital). HSV stands for Herpes Simplex Virus; and for people who aren't familiar with the "types" of herpes, I'll tell you now. There are two types of herpes: HSV I and HSV II. HSV I (the kind I have) is a way milder form of the virus than HSV II. This means that my chances of getting an outbreak are minimal compared to people with HSV II. However, just because I don't get as many outbreaks DOESN'T MEAN that my chances of SPREADING the disease onto my partner are slimmer than someone with HSV II. Actually, I caught the disease in a messed-up way (lack of a four letter word) too. The person that gave me this lovely disease had told me that he had been tested and he was clean. We had sex, and two days later I started waking up in the worst pain I had EVER felt (down there). The sores weren't going away so I went to the doctor and was tested for herpes, and three days later I got the phone call that would change my life forever. Now I have to take medication every day and as a person, I feel betrayed and as though I cannot trust anyone. Heck, I knew the guy for TEN YEARS!!! It's not like it was a one night stand or anything. Anyway, when my boyfriend and I started dating, he told me that he had HSV so we decided to put off having sex until I could figure out what to do. I made a phone call to my OBGYN and they REJECTED ME. They said that if I have had more than three sexual partners, then I probably have already had the virus and it had "passed through" my system. WHAT?!?! How do THEY know that I have had the virus?!?! AND WHY ON GOD'S GREEN EARTH WOULD THEY REJECT ME KNOWING THAT I HAVE A BOYFRIEND WITH A DISEASE THAT COULD POTENTIALLY KILL ME AND THEY HAD A VACCINE THAT COULD HELP ME TO PREVENT GETTING HPV?!?! I mean, I have to take medicine everyday so my chances of giving my boyfriend HSV are slim-to-none. After several phone calls, I FINALLY got into treatment and have been okay so far.

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