Pill link with cancer

Press, 25 May 1977, Page 16

Pill link with cancer

’A Auckland Nine of the 43 definite side-effects of the contraceptive pill were can-cer-forming, according to a United States doctor, who is visiting New Zealand as overseas guest speaker at the United Women’s Convention in Christchurch next month. Christchurch bom Dr Helen Marieskind said evidence of this had been presented to the American Food and Drug Administration. She spoke to about 200 women at Auckland University on Saturday. Until recently she was professor of public health at New York State University, and is now writing a series of articles on the organisation of women’s health services in the United States. Dr Marieskind said she felt that the diaphragm especially, and even the intra-uterlne device, were infinitely preferable contraceptives to the pill. “I’m opposed to any of the hormonal types of contraception,” she said. “Often side-effects don’t show until after 20 to 25 years of use, and the pill hasn’t been around that long.” For their health’s sake, women should consider whether the risks of taking the pill were worth while.