Health issues in oral contraception: risks, side effects and health benefits

Given the valuable contraceptive and noncontraceptive benefits of combined hormonal contraception (estrogen plus progestin), oral contraceptive pills (OCPs) have been widely used by reproductive-aged women for decades. In 2002, OCPs were the leading contraceptive method in the USA among women under 35 years of age, with over 11.6 million women using them. OCPs have evolved since their first use in the early 1960s to improve safety patterns without affecting efficacy. Today, OCPs contain only a fraction of the estrogen doses seen with original formulations, dramatically reducing the cardiovascular risk initially associated with this form of contraception. In addition, women now have many additional options for combined hormonal contraception (CHC), including newer progestins, reduced estrogen doses and extended cycle lengths, and novel delivery systems such as the transdermal patch or intravaginal ring. These options may further affect traditional risk and benefit profiles for CHC use in these women. There...