That's Fit

I've heard it before: The pill protects against ovarian cancer. And here the news presents itself again, this time in the form of a study revealing birth control pills can protect women from this disease even decades after they stop taking it.

British researchers have found that women taking the pill for 15 years cut their chances of developing ovarian cancer by half. The risk remained low more than 30 years later, although protection did weaken over time, according to study findings that were published Friday in The Lancet.

Overall, this is good news. Not only do you get to prevent pregnancy, you get to prevent ovarian cancer at the same time (long-term protection against endometrial cancer is a bonus too). But there's a downside to this hopeful news: The pill also slightly increases the chances of breast and cervical cancer. The risk seems to disappear once a woman stops taking the oral contraceptive but still, the gamble remains for as long as the medication is used.

For those who take it on a regular basis, and who remember to take it every day at the same time, the pill is a pretty effective form of contraception. It's not for everyone though, so those who are thinking of going on the pill should take a look at this article, which discusses some of the pros and cons of the oral contraceptive.

Some of the more well-known pros include clearer skin, lighter periods and less severe or no cramps. One of the major cons that I've heard women talk about is the extra weight gain associated with taking the pill. However, I've also heard that no one should gain more than a few pounds, if any. Also, the pill protects again some forms of cancer, like ovarian and endometrial cancer, but may increase the risk of breast, cervical and liver cancer. Also, smokers, especially those over age 35, who take the pill are at risk of developing life threatening blood clots.

So that's the good and the bad, but what about the stuff they don't tell you? A women quoted in the article insists that she noticed an increase in her sex drive when she quit taking the contraceptive, but admits it could be due to a number of factors. I know a women who insists that her curly hair went completely straight when she went on the pill and another who says that for the first week she starting taking the contraceptive, her emotions went wild.

As usual, the best way to find out if the pill is right for you is to do some research, talk to your doctor and make sure to ask lots of questions and ensure any concerns you have are addressed before you make your choice.

According to one of the largest studies ever conducted, women who take the Pill dramatically lower their risk of developing cancer later in life.

Those women who took the Pill for less than 8 years saw a 12 percent decrease in their cancer risk. (Though it's worth noting that for the small percentage of women that took the pill for more than 8 years, their cancer risk actually increased.)

Subsequently, even though the Pill only reduces the risk of certain types of the disease -- such as bowel, rectal, uterine and ovarian cancers -- researchers still concluded that these cancer benefits far outweigh any potential health risks of oral contraceptives.

Good news for the more than 300 million women who have used the Pill since it was first introduced in the early 1960s.

Women taking birth control pills may need to keep an eye on their calcium intake, as researchers have discovered that oral contraceptives can decrease bone density. This is especially problematic, because the time during which it's most effective for women to optimize bone mass is adolescence and young adulthood -- a time when women are most-likely to use birth control.

It's feared that a decrease in bone density during these years can lead to osteoporosis later in life.

Subsequently, it's important that women who are using birth control -- especially those under 18 -- meet or exceeding the Recommended Daily Allowance for calcium. (The RDA for women age 9-18 is 1,300 milligrams a day, and is 1,000 milligrams a day for women age 19-50.)

Some calcium-rich foods that you might try include: milk (300 mg of calcium in 1 cup), yogurt (150-200 mg in 1 cup), pinto beans (140 mg in 1 cup) and almonds (80 mg in 1 cup).

Toxic shock syndrome is a rare, life-threatening bacterial infection that has been most often associated with the use of super absorbent tampons and occasionally with the use of contraceptive sponges. While the infection often occurs in menstruating women, it can also affect men, children and post menopausal women. Other risk factors for toxic shock syndrome include skin wounds and surgery. Signs and symptoms of toxic shock syndrome develop suddenly, and the disease can be fatal.

Can your child develop Toxic Shock Syndrome? Yes they can. A related infection, streptococcal toxic shock syndrome, or STSS, is caused by streptococcus bacteria. Most often STSS appears after streptococcus bacteria have invaded areas of injured skin, such as cuts and scrapes, surgical wounds, and even chickenpox blisters.

Sign of Toxic Shock Syndrome are signs of shock, cold hands and feet, a pulse that is fast and weak, confusion or other mental changes, their skin is pale and moist, shortness of breath or abnormally fast breathing, a fever, a rash that looks like sunburn, nausea and vomiting and watery diarrhea, decreased urination, and confusion or other mental changes.

Call your child's doctor or get them to an emergency quickly if they have these symptoms because the sooner they get attention the quicker they recover. Men can develop this infection also. Keeping your child's hands washed is a good way to fight the bacteria that can cause and spread this illness.

Between birth control pills, sponges, condoms and other forms of birth control, manufacturers are always seeking ways to enhance the convenience of preventing a pregnancy. The latest? A chewable contraceptive that is simply munched on like a self-dissolving tablet. And yes, it's tasty as well.

This new tiny, spearmint-flavored tablet that also can be swallowed without chewing and it has no hit pharmacy shelves as of this week. The new tablet -- Femcon Fe -- features the same hormones as standard oral contraceptives. Why even make this product, you may ask? Well, some women who don't like swallowing pills or are on the go are most likely the target market here.

The cost? a month's supply will sell for $44 wholesale and probably a bit higher at retail pharmacies.