Miia Tiihonen, who conducted the research, says that worries about cancer stem mostly from media and online debate about links between menopausal hormone therapy and cancer. However, there’s no scientific evidence to support that connection, she notes.
Additionally, according to Tiihonen, many women fear that being on the pill will result in infertility. Some said they had experienced side effects such as a drop in sex drive.
The issue boils down to the myths surrounding birth control pills, Tiihonen says. As a result, many choose to give up hormone-based methods of contraception.
An eye on the calendar
Women are instead turning to low-hormone, more natural contraceptive formulas—or else opt for completely hormone-free methods. For example, the so-called rhythm method has come back into vogue. It involves keeping track of the menstrual cycle to pinpoint peak fertility days. For those monitoring fertility symptoms, special devices now exist for analysing basal body temperature, which rises during ovulation.
Natural protection methods are most often discussed informally. According to the dissertation, women usually learn about side effects of the pill from their friends, with doctors being only a secondary source of information.
The dissertation says that healthcare professionals ought to be more active in advising women who use hormone-based birth control. Such discussions may allay fears originating in stories read online, according to the study.
In 2001, 264 women on birth control pills participated in the dissertation’s research, while in 2007 a further 436 took part. The average age of participants was 26.
