About Risks and Side Effects
The pill has been available for 40 years now. Since it was first introduced, there have been thousands of investigations about its real and theoretical risks. This safe contraceptive remains a prescription-only medicine. And every once in a while, one preparation or another gets bad press. No wonder that women's fears about the pill have never completely disappeared.

There have been repeated discussions about a connection of pill intake and thrombosis. In women with pre-existing risk factors, such as a history of thrombosis in the family, obesity or high blood pressure, the use of oral contraceptives is associated with an increased risk of thromboembolism as well as cardiovascular and other serious conditions. For healthy women who have no underlying risk factors, the risk of such diseases is very low.
Cigarette smoking increases the risk of cardiovascular adverse events from oral contraceptive use. This risk increases with age and with heavy smoking (15 or more cigarettes a day).

The most intensely feared risk of oral contraception – a possible development of breast cancer – has been discussed in a controversial manner. In spite of many studies on a possible relationship of OC use and breast cancer, a cause-and-effect relationship has not been established.

The pill is available only on prescription and this should remain so in the future. Together with her physician, the woman can decide on the best possible family planning method for herself, based on her individual risk factors. It was the pill that made a really effective family planning possible.