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Contraceptive pills increase the risk of developing prostate cancer among men
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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Scientists from the University of Toronto (Canada) found a link between the use of oral contraceptives by women (birth control pills) and the increase in the incidence of prostate cancer among men.
Researchers are testing the hypothesis that contraceptive by-products are released into the environment, such as water, and lead to an increase in low exposure to estrogen levels in men.
Several studies have already indicated that exposure to estrogen may increase the risk of prostate cancer. The scientists Margel and Fleshner went even further: what if the widespread use of oral contraceptives over the past 40 years could lead to an increase in estrogen in the environment, significantly increasing the risk of developing prostate cancer?
In their environmental study, they analyzed global data from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in 2007 and the report on the use of contraceptives in 2007 to correlate statistical data on the incidence of prostate cancer and the frequency of contraceptive use.
They analyzed data on continents and countries and compared the prevalence of oral contraceptive use with other forms of contraception, such as intrauterine devices, condoms or vaginal barriers.
The results showed that:
- Oral contraceptive use is significantly associated with the incidence of prostate cancer and related deaths in individual countries.
- Oral contraceptive use was also associated with an increase in prostate cancer cases in Europe.
- There was no correlation between the use of other forms of contraception and the incidence of prostate cancer or deaths.
- Further analysis showed that the use of oral contraceptives does not depend on the level of development of the country.
Although the authors note that the study does not prove a direct causal link, but similar results indicate the need for further research on the problem of using oral contraceptives and the growing incidence of prostate cancer among men.
Among the reasons for this phenomenon, scientists find the explanation that modern oral contraceptives often contain high doses of ethinylestradiol (artificial biologically active estrogen), which is excreted in the urine unchanged, which can lead to its entry into drinking water or food chains. Although the amount of estrogen given by one woman is minimal, but when millions of women do this for a long period of time, this can lead to a level of environmental pollution sufficient to increase the risk of developing prostate cancer.
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