According to a Harvard University Study, women may be three times more likely to develop Crohn’s disease if they have used oral contraceptive pills for five years or more. The risk was especially pronounced in women who already had a genetic predisposition to chronic gastrointestinal disease.
While “the pill” is widely used and highly effective in preventing pregnancy, it has adverse effects.
The study involved 232,452 American women with no prior history of ulcerative colitis (UC) or Crohn’s disease (CD) from 1976 to 2008. They found 315 cases of CD and 392 cases of UC.
The results of the study were such that compared with women who had never used oral contraceptives, current users had a 2.82 multivariate-adjusted hazard ratio for CD. For past users, the hazard ratio was 1.39.
Reflecting on the strong association between use of oral contraceptives and CD, the authors note that, “After adjusting for known or potential risk factors for CD, including BMI, smoking, hormone use, age at menarche, menopause type and parity, these risk estimates did not materially change.”
For more information, read the full study.
Razi Berry, Founder and Publisher of Naturopathic Doctor News & Review (ndnr.com) and NaturalPath (thenatpath.com), has spent the last decade as a natural medicine advocate and marketing whiz. She has galvanized and supported the naturopathic community, bringing a higher quality of healthcare to millions of North Americans through her publications. A self-proclaimed health-food junkie and mother of two; she loves all things nature, is obsessed with organic gardening, growing fruit trees (not easy in Phoenix), laughing until she snorts, and homeschooling. She is a little bit crunchy and yes, that is her real name.
