ABSTRACT
Oral contraceptive pills have been associated with increased risk for myocardial infarction,
stroke, and venous thromboembolism. Studies have been published recently that suggest
that these risks are minimal in appropriately chosen low-risk women. Stroke is a very
uncommon event in childbearing women, occurring in approximately 11 per 100,000 women
over 1 year. Thus, even a doubling of this risk with oral contraceptive pills would
have minimal effect on attributable risk. The estimated risk of myocardial infarction
associated with oral contraceptive pill use in nonsmokers is 3 per million women over
1 year. The estimated risk of venous thromboembolism attributable to oral contraceptive
pills is less than 3 per 10,000 women per year. Additionally, the literature suggests
that there may be an increased risk of breast cancer associated with long-term oral
contraceptive pill use in women under the age of 35. However, because the incidence
of breast cancer is so low in this population, the attributable risk of breast cancer
from birth control pill use is small.
KEYWORD
Oral contraceptives - cardiovascular/breast cancer risks
