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[dahliagirl]

I heard on the radio this morning that if you have taken the oral contraceptive pill, then you have a reduced risk of certain types of cancer (colorectal, ovarian and endometrial) which extends as far as 30 years.

I have looked it up and here is the press release from Aberdeen University : http://www.abdn.ac.uk/news/10540/

I started taking the pill when I was 21, around the time of a big scare that it caused cancer.  I have taken it throughout my reproductive years, and weathered quite a few other scares.  I had no idea that there was a longitudinal study - this been carried out over the last 44 years.  It is reassuring to know that this has been taking place, and that there are some positive results.  I don't regret taking it for so long, as it helped me through difficult periods and PMS.  However, I did not realise the effect it had on libido until I stopped taking it 

I don't know if there is anything similar going on with HRT studies.  I hope there will be good news if there is.

[Dorothy]

That's good news as I've already been on it for about 10 years and probably will be on it for another 9 or so. 

When you mention effect on libido, do you mean it increased yours?  Because it has exactly the opposite effect on me!  Zero interest - you could parade the world's top 20 most eligible bachelors in front of me, and I'd be wanting to curl up with a good book and a cuppa!

[dahliagirl]

Yes - just that    I often thought that maybe the it was just old age/familiarity etc and that it was youth that made sex so exciting...........then I came off it and had a perimeno upsurge at the same time - it was a revelation        Didn't last, but at least I know what I am aiming for now 

[Dorothy]

I have about 24 hours every time I have a pill break where the effects have worn off enough for me to be interested in men, but the symptoms the pill is supposed to fix haven't yet become bad enough to make me not interested in anything!  Always hope no one asks me out during that 24 hour window, as they'd probably get an enthusiastic yes, only to be let down when the date actually arrived as by then I'd either be feeling like I'm dying or back on the pill and wondering why on earth I'd ever found them attractive!

[dahliagirl]

I remember that - 2 or 3 days from the end of the bleed until the pills built up enough go <meh>

I do wonder how many relationships fizzle out because of it.  Mine survived, thankfully.

[CLKD]

I began The Pill when I was 17.  I stopped taking it in my early 20s.  I had oestrogen dominant breast lump removed in the 1990s (don't ask how old I was, it's too late to work it out  ) ....... made no difference to when I felt sexy/not ...........

[dahliagirl]

I wasn't really aware of it either until later on.  I took it from 21 to 49 with breaks for pregnancy, and pop whilst breast feeding.  It was definitely more obvious as I got older.  I used to get oestrogen withdrawal headaches too, but did not manage to connect it until I got to perimenopause age.

Anyway, we digress    It is a relief that, after many years of very scary warnings, that there are actually some positives, and that they last.  I think this is specifically colorectal, ovarian and endometrial cancers, and it is a reduction of risk, which we know does not mean that we can never get them.

I looked at some papers about this study, written about breast cancer, CKLD.  It looks like there might be a small increase in cancers whilst actually taking it, but these are probably existing cells that are in a position to grow, like with HRT and are not actually caused by the hormones.  The numbers were so small that it cannot be called significant and the risk goes when you are not taking it.  It doesn't look like you should blame yourself at all    most lumps seem to be the (bad) luck of the draw.