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World pill poll reveals false fears.


 An international study of misinformation about the pill conducted by FHI surveyed 8 countries and found that women everywhere believed the pill dangerous to their health, while remaining ignorant of its benefits and actual complications. The study queried middle class urban women from Thailand, Sri Lanka, Senegal, Nigeria, Egypt, Mexico, Costa Rica and Chile. Some of the findings cited were: significant numbers of women believed pills cause uterine cancer; that pills increase risk of sterility; and that pills cause birth defects. Few women were aware of the reality of risk of cardiovascular disease, particularly for smokers. The pill's non-contraceptive health benefits, such as protecting against ovarian and endometrial cancer, pelvic inflammatory disease, sterility, venereal disease and anemia, were virtually unknown. In the different countries surveyed, from 26 to 60% of women who have tried the pill stopped taking it because they were worried about its safety. Fear of side effects is a major reason why many women do not try the pill. These misconceptions persist because of ignorance and fear, since cancer, rather than lack of it, makes news headlines.
