In the field of sexual health research, there has been a bit of bad news recently. Women who have been on the oral contraceptive pill for more than five years are facing a serious threat to their wellness and wellbeing through an increased risk of heart disease. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists have released a bulletin, warning the public about the risks that oral contraceptives could pose.
This report indicates that women who are on a high dose of oral contraceptives have a much greater risk of developing a blood clot in the vein (thromboembolism), the death of a heart muscle (myocardial infarction) or a stroke.
These complications are occurring less and less frequently, however, as a lower dose of hormonal contraceptives becomes more standard. The risk is also being lowered due to better screening of women who are deemed to be high risk. The rates of pill use in women over 35 has also dropped significantly recently, leading to fewer serious side effects.
It is rare to suffer from a pill-related heart attack. They occur in only around one in 14,000 people who take the pill and are aged between 30 and 39. Strike is more common, however, occurring around five times more frequently in women of this age group who are taking oral contraceptive pills.
Even strokes are a rare event, though, affecting around one in 2,700 women who take the pill. The pill can cause a blood clot to occur more often and thus cause heart attacks and strokes, but this is still a very uncommon side effect. Hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy cause far more blood clots than the hormonal contraceptive pill.
Most heart attacks and strokes amongst those who take the contraceptive pill occur in women who also smoke, so to reduce your risk dramatically then cut down on smoking, and quit, as soon as possible.