Camp
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Would
      You
      Consider
      Taking
      an
      Experi-
     
     
      mental
      Drug?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Birth
      control
      pills
      can
      be
      said
      to
      be
      ann
      experimental
     
     
      method
      of
      birth
      control.
      Although
      it
      was
      approved
      by
     
     
      the
      FDA
      (The
      Food
      and
      Drug
      Administration)
      in
      1960
     
     
      it
      was
      done
      so
      with
      inadequate
      testing
      or
      studies.
     
    

    
     
      The
      pill
      caused
      a
      great
      amount
      of
      excitement
      among
     
     
      many
      people.
      The
      medical
      and
      scientific
      communities
     
     
      saw
      it
      asa
      large
      step
      forward,
      women
      were
      excited
     
     
      because
      it
      seemed
      so
      much
      better
      than
      the
      existing
     
     
      birth
      control
      methods.
      But
      was/is
      it
      really
      better?
     
     
      The
      birth
      control
      pill
      comes
      with
      many
      side
      effects
     
     
      and
      many
      regulations
      as
      to
      who
      the
      pill
      is
      safe
      for.
     
     
      The
      birth
      control
      pill
      can
      contribute
      to
      death.
      Ifyou
     
     
      don’t
      have
      regular
      check-ups
      with
      a
      doctor,
      ifit
      was
     
     
      prescribed
      without
      an
      adequate
      examination,
      orifyou
     
     
      ignore
      signs
      if
      complications,
      you
      could
      be
      gambling
     
     
      with
      your
      life.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Heart
      attacks
      and
      strokes:
      There
      is
      a
      higher
      risk
      of
     
     
      death
      due
      to
      circulatory
      disease
      among
      women
      who
     
     
      are
      or
      have
      taken
      the
      pill.
      The
      chances
      of
      death
     
     
      increases
      the
      longer
      you
      take
      the
      pill
      and
      persists
      if
     
     
      you
      have
      taken
      the
      pill
      for
      5
      years
      or
      longer
      (even
     
     
      after
      you’
      ve
      stopped
      taking
      it).
     
    
   
   
    
     
      High
      blood
      pressure:
      Women
      on
      the
      pill
      can
      develop
     
     
      hypertension
      and
      this
      puts
      them
      at
      a
      greater
      risk
      for
     
     
      heart
      attacks
      and
      strokes.
      Women
      who
      have
      high
     
     
      blood
      pressure
      or
      a
      family
      history
      of
      it
      are
      encour-
     
     
      aged
      to
      use
      other
      forms
      of
      birth
      control.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Cancer:
      There
      may
      be
      connections
      between
      the
      pill
     
     
      and
      certain
      forms
      of
      cancer.
      Ifa
      woman
      has
      cervical
     
     
      dysplasia
      (abnormal
      cells
      in
      the
      cervix)
      the
      pill
      might
     
     
      cause
      it
      to
      become
      cancerous,
      there
      is
      a
      disagreement
     
     
      between
      researchers
      about
      whether
      or
      not
      there
      isa
     
     
      connection
      between
      skin
      cancer
      and
      the
      pill
      and
      breast
     
     
      cancer
      and
      the
      pill.
      In
      these
      cases
      what
      is
      not
      known
     
     
      can
      hurt
      oreven
      kill
      you!
     
    
   
   
    
     
      SS
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      s
      Women
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Children:
      There
      have
      been
      reports
      of
      birth
      defects
     
     
      among
      babies
      whose
      mothers
      took
      the
      pill
      while
     
     
      pregnant.
      Jaundice
      may
      occur
      in
      babies
      born
      to
     
     
      women
      who
      took
      the
      pill
      before
      becoming
      pregnant
     
     
      and
      the
      effects
      ona
      child
      if
      he/she
      has
      accidentally
     
     
      swallowed
      birth
      control
      pills
      is
      unknown.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Headaches:
      Migraine
      headaches
      may
      be
      a
      warning
     
     
      sign
      of
      an
      impending
      stroke.
      Migrans
      result
      from
     
     
      problems
      in
      the
      circulation
      of
      blood
      to
      the
      brain.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Diabetes:
      In
      some
      women
      the
      pill
      can
      cause
      or
      bring
      ’
     
    
   
   
    
     
      about
      diabetes.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Depression:
      Aprox.
      1
      in4
      women
      suffer
      from
      depres-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      sion
      anxiousness,
      or
      irritableness
      while
      on
      the
      pill.
      4
     
    
   
   
    
     
      pill
      with
      less
      progestin
      or
      vitamin
      B6
      supplement
      ma
      7
     
    
   
   
    
     
      help.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Vaginitis
      or
      Vaginal
      Discharge:
      Because
      the
      pill
     
    
   
   
    
     
      causes
      changes
      in
      the
      vaginal
      environmentincreases
      ~
     
    
   
   
    
     
      conditions
      for
      infections
      to
      take
      place.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Skin
      problems:
      The
      pill
      may
      be
      associated
      with
      dif-
     
    
   
   
    
     
          
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ferent
      skin
      problems
      like
      eczema,
      hives
      or
      rashes
      and
      ©
     
    
   
   
    
     
      in
      some
      rare
      cases
      chloasma
      (changes
      in
      skin
      pigmen-
     
     
      tation).
      A
      progestin
      pill
      can
      increase
      oily
      skin
      and
      a
      ©
     
    
   
   
    
     
      estrogenic
      pill
      may
      decrease
      acne.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Urinary
      tract
      infection:
      Some
      reports
      show
      that
     
     
      women
      whoare
      taking
      the
      pill
      tend
      to
      have
      more
     
     
      infections
      of
      the
      bladder
      and
      urethra.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Liver
      and
      Gallbladder
      disease:
      The
      pill
      had
      been
      :
     
     
      associated
      with
      gallbladder
      disease
      and
      liver
      tumours.
      |
     
     
      Jaundice
      can
      be
      an
      early
      symptom
      and
      so
      atthe
      first
      ©
     
     
      sign
      of
      Jaundice
      stop
      taking
      your
      pill.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Epilepsy
      and
      Asthma:
      The
      pill
      can
      cause
      epilepsy
      but”
     
     
      it
      can
      also
      aggravate
      already
      existing
      epilepsyand
     
     
      asthma.
      A
      lower
      dosage
      of
      estrogen
      pills
      and
      close
     
    

    
     
      medical
      supervison
      isa
      good
      idea.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      UPEI
      X-P
      RESS
     
    
   
   
    
     
      March
      5,
      1992