Commentary on news about teen pregnancy, unmarried sexual behavior, STD, HIV/AIDS, and the sex education controversy from the abstinence until marriage perspective.

Friday, August 12, 2005

Where's the Story? OC, menopausal treatment and Breast Cancer

I have asked, but as yet have not received an answer, as to why the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel did not print an article on the World Health Organization's July 29th press release. In it, combined estrogen-progeston oral contraceptives were raised to a Group 1 carcinogen rating. That adds them to the same level as cigarettes as highly carcinogenic--the highest ranking. Specifically mention is the connection with breast cancer as it is with menopause hormone treatments

Now currently in the state there is:
1) legislation pending that would ban the promotion and distribution of emergency contraception on UW campuses,
2) reaction to the Academy of Pediatrics support of contraception for adolescents,
3) a Race for the Cure scheduled in a month
4)a new coalition to fight abstinence education and expand contraception
So the reason can't be that it isn't currently newsworthy!

21 scientists from 8 countries reviewed a mountain of studies for The World Health Organization before issuing this new warning classification. The organization is well-known for its support of contraception especially in developing countries. It supports and is supported by a host of organizations all over the world that do likewise.
So the reason can't be that this is a biased, non-professional report from a group with an axe to grind!

So why wouldn't women be given this information? Afterall, the vast majority of women of child-bearing age use hormonal birth control and menopause therapy. Breast cancer rates seem to have escalated over the last few decades. Younger women are getting breast cancer. This would seem to be a logical link and, at the least, a plausible explanation. It is definitely information women should ask their doctors about.

So was it just a young male staffer who disgarded the press release as irrelevant? Or was the "wait and see what further research says" approach adopted? Or is someone afraid women might not buy products that make drug companies profitable? Or will the information harm efforts to get birth control covered by insurance? Or does this info forbode lawsuits similar to what hit cigarette companies? Or will young women decide sex without a wedding ring just isn't worth it anymore?

Call me cynical but if a woman or girl decides to use the Pill, she should at least know what could happen to her and that negates all reasons for not printing this story!

1 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Becky Lang, Journal Health and Science editor replied:

"I found the news release through a web search; none of the news wire services had written anything on this either. This news release didn't catch anyone's attention primarily because it establishes something that's already been on packages of oral contraceptives for years--that the use of hormones includes a small increase in the risk of breast cancer. This release addresses information that medical studies have already shown, mainly that they see more evidence of a slight risk for other types of cancers, but also protection against a couple of cancers as weel in those who take oral contraceptives for several years. It also indicates the established risk for cancer from menopause hormone therapy, which we've written about extensively in the newspaper. The bottom line is that the potential risks and benefits balance each other out from a public health standpoint."

December 3, 2005 at 1:59 PM

 

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