[Non-contraceptive benefits of the pill--an often neglected fact].
While rare cardiovascular risks of oral contraceptives (OCs) caused a lot of concern among OC-using women in the recent past, little attention has been paid in the public to the non-contraceptive benefits of OCs. Short, medium and long term non-contraceptive benefits have to be considered. The early Anglo-American cohort and case-control studies demonstrated a reduction of menstrual complaints, iron-deficiency anaemia, ectopic pregnancies, and a partly drastic reduction of some benign and malignant tumours such as endometrial and ovarian cancer. A risk reduction of rheumatoid arthritis is discussed controversially. The present paper gives an overview of the state of knowledge. For newer OCs with different composition, comparable studies are lacking. Therefore, a cohort study was initiated in Germany in April 1998 to investigate these associations as well for newer OCs, which is presented. The described non-contraceptive benefits should be considered in the benefit-risk assessment when prescribing OCs.
Garbe
E
E
Institut für Pharmakoepidemiologie und Technologie-Anwendung, Berlin.
Heinemann
L A
LA
Rabe
T
T
Winkler
U H
UH
D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000517:prevention & control*; D001941:Breast Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003276:Contraceptives, Oral / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005833:Genital Neoplasms, Female / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D016017:Odds Ratio; D000292:Pelvic Inflammatory Disease / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011247:Pregnancy; D018570:Risk Assessment; D016387:Women's Health
D003276:Contraceptives, Oral