Known Health Risks
Help protect against:
Very rare:
yy Risks of pregnancy
yy Blood clot in deep veins of legs or lungs (deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism)
yy Cancer of the lining of the uterus (endometrial cancer) yy Cancer of the ovary
Extremely rare:
yy Symptomatic pelvic inflammatory disease
yy Heart attack
1 Combined Oral Contraceptives
Known Health Benefits
yy Stroke
May help protect against:
yy Ovarian cysts yy Iron-deficiency anemia Reduce:
yy Menstrual cramps yy Menstrual bleeding problems yy Ovulation pain yy Excess hair on face or body yy Symptoms of polycystic ovarian syndrome (irregular bleeding, acne, excess hair on face or body) yy Symptoms of endometriosis (pelvic pain, irregular bleeding) See also Facts About Combined Oral Contraceptives and Cancer, p. 4.
Correcting Misunderstandings (see also Questions and Answers, p. 22) Combined oral contraceptives:
yy Do not build up in a woman’s body. Women do not need a “rest” from taking COCs. yy Must be taken every day, whether or not a woman has sex that day. yy Do not make women infertile. yy Do not cause birth defects or multiple births. yy Do not change women’s sexual behavior. yy Do not collect in the stomach. Instead, the pill dissolves each day. yy Do not disrupt an existing pregnancy.
Combined Oral Contraceptives
3
