Claim: Birth Control Causes Cancer

Question

If you use birth control, you might be wondering whether it affects your chances of getting cancer, IUDs, birth control pills, birth control shots, and others raise or lower your risk.

Comments

Certain forms of birth control can be linked to a lower risk of some cancers. Research done in the article says that birth control pills can reduce ovarian cancer risk by up to 50%. This research was done by the National Cancer Institute, an official government website, which I checked and had the same findings. Similarly, hormonal IUDs may help prevent or even treat early-stage cancers, which I also found to be true at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center's official website

---

I like the source you used for this factcheck, but overall I think the title can be very misleading, especially because you didn't add prior information from the article. I think next time if you added more information it would've strengthened this fact check, as well as finding different articles to further support this fact check.

---

Although this has been proven false, you don't seem to be exactly claiming what the original fact check does and neither does the article which makes this a little misleading. Along with that WebMD is always the best source to use in these and can often be an unreliable source on some topics. I would've found a better source and perhaps changed your original claim a little.

---

I agree that cancer can be caused by a variety of factors, so crediting it to a single product like birth control isn't entirely accurate. I thought your explanation did a good job of showing the risks of products like birth control while also showing some sources for more accurate lists for the risks associated with the medication.

---

This article is very helpful in answering the claim of if birth control affects the chances of getting cancer by explaining the different side effects in some common birth control methods. The article is also medically reviewed by a qualified doctor which can help better support the claim. I do think it is a little misleading because it only talks about some forms of birth control and shares concise information on only some of them. I do agree with the claim that birth control can cause cancer because I have seen outside sources that also support this claim, but I don’t think this article is the best example to support this claim.

Answer 1

This claim is exaggerated/misleading. The article itself does a good job of outlining several different methods of birth control and contraceptives, and though it does show that some forms of birth control do increase your risk for some types of cancer it in no way makes a blanket statement that birth control causes cancer. The article also includes data that shows that some forms of birth control can decrease your risk of cancer or those that have no effect, which is another reason the claim is misleading because it completely leaves out this part of the article. Birth control decreasing your risk of cancer is backed up by data in this article and in other medical journals/papers (National Cancer Institute). To be effective, the claim would have at least allude to the specific of types of cancer, percent risks, and types of contraceptives.

Answer 2

This claim is very misleading. While it is true that birth control "may slightly increase your risk of getting breast and cervical cancers" (WebMD), it is also true that using them causes a decrease in risk of other types of cancers. In the first paragraph of the cited article it says that use of birth control "can also play a role in lowering your risk of some cancers". It is not fair to make a blanket statement that birth control causes cancers while deliberately leaving out how it lowers the risk of some as well. According to Andrea Milbourne, M.D, "A lot of people think the pill always ups your risk of cancer, but that’s simply not true" (MD Anderson Cancer Center). Experts agree that there is no large increase in overall risk of developing cancer due to use of birth control, despite this claim.

https://www.webmd.com/sex/birth-control/birth-control-cancer-risk

https://www.mdanderson.org/publications/focused-on-health/birth-control-pill-and-cancer-risk.h28Z1590624.html

Answer 3

This claim is not fully accurate. The article in question does not go so far as to say that birth control directly causes cancer, simply that certain types of birth control may lead to a slightly increased risk of cancer in individuals. The article differentiates between many different types of birth control but does not link each to directly causing cancer. As a result, the claim is exaggerated and misleading.

Answer 4

The article on birth control and cancer risk is misleading because it puts too much focus on potential cancer risks without equally showing the benefits. While it mentions that birth control might slightly raise the risk of breast and cervical cancer, it doesn’t stress enough that birth control also lowers the risk of other cancers, like ovarian, endometrial, and colorectal cancers. The National Cancer Institute and similar studies show both risks and protective benefits, but the article doesn’t balance these points.

The article also suggests that hormonal IUDs may increase breast cancer risk, even though research on this is still uncertain, which might create unnecessary fear. It also discusses breast cancer risk with the birth control shot but doesn’t clarify that the evidence is limited and not conclusive. By focusing mostly on risks, the article could leave readers with a negative view of birth control and cancer, making it seem more dangerous than it actually is.

Answer 5

This claim is overly exaggerated and can cause unnecessary fear within female readers. This article header states that every single birth control method causes cancer and instills the idea that something women thought was helping them is actually hurting them. This article then goes to state that only birth control pills can hypothetically give you breast and ovarian cancer, but that IUD's can lower the risk of cancers. This counteracts their claim by showing that some birth controls can actually be beneficial to a woman's health. They also list other forms of birth control such as condoms and the shot and proceed to say that condoms don't cause cancer, but the shot might. There is not enough evidence to correctly claim that any type of birth control can cause cancer. The Cancer Research UK provided information about this topic and showed that birth control pills only slightly increase the risk of breast and cervical cancer, but decreases the risk of ovarian and womb cancer. The article did state this information, but the overall claim of the article gives the indication that birth control only causes cancer and doesn't have the ability to lower the risk of other cancers. 

Answer 6

The article headline Birth Control Causes Cancer is Exaggerated/Misleading. The article cites to studies done at Universities but it doesn’t name the studies and gives no hyperlink or foot note citation so you can’t look it up. It states percentages without citation. The news site was on the unreliable list because they don’t fact check there stories.  

https://www.webmd.com/sex/birth-control/birth-control-cancer-risk

Answer 7

This reading is misleading in a few different ways. The article comments on how some birth control can lead to cancer and some can help prevent cancer. The title itself if misleading but would catch the eye of those who take birth control or are thinking about starting it. There has been other studies regarding this claim, evidently leading to the conclusion that birth control has many side effects. It's not a direct cause when it comes to cancer, but it can weaken the body's ability to fight off diseases like cancer. I don't think this article is completely false, but the way the information is being conveyed is misleading and doesn't focus on the claim it's making.

Answer 8

This claim is very misleading because yes some hormones in birth control can raise the risk of a patient getting cancer however, birth control does not 100% alway lead to cancer. I think this claim could be worded differently in a way that doesn't claim birth control always leads to cancer. The article that was linked does state the risks involved with taking birth control but anyone who is on birth control needs to consent to the risks involved with the medication so they should be informed. Overall the claim is deceiving and is not correct

Answer 9

This claim that “Birth Control Causes Cancer” is misleading and exaggerated because, yes it may cause you to have a higher risk for certain cancers. But it also lowers your risks for ovarian and endometrial cancer (found in article below). We must keep in mind that different types of contraception may have different risks.

One form of birth control is the pill, and when you take it, it may help lower ovarian and endometrial (uterine) cancer. The reason for this is women can take the pill to ovulate or release eggs less than women who aren’t on the pill. If you are taking the pill for at least four years, it may lower your endometrial cancer risk in half. Your risk for breast and cervical cancer will be slightly raised, but the risk will return to normal after five years off the pill. Keep in mind more cases of cervical cancer are caused by HPV than by taking the pill.

Another form is IUD, which is an implant that is inserted into the uterus. It has been proven to lower your risk of many gynecological cancers, which include endometrial and ovarian cancer. Which latest studies show that cervical cancer is a third less frequent in women who have used an IUD.

These are some examples of the perks and disadvantages that some birth control methods can have. It is always best to consult a doctor for the methods that would best suit your needs.

Sources used: 

Birth control (pill): https://www.mdanderson.org/publications/focused-on-health/birth-control-pill-and-cancer-risk.h28Z1590624.html

Birth control (IUD): https://www.roswellpark.org/cancertalk/201802/can-intrauterine-device-iud-reduce-cervical-cancer-risk

https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/contraception-intrauterine-devices-iud#

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29112647/

Answer 10

This statement is exaggerated. The source provided does not qualify the claim that birth control directly causes cancer. This article discusses the possibility of increased risk (breast and cervical cancers) and decreased cancer risks (endometrial, colon, and ovarian) as result of oral, intrauterine devices, and shot contraceptives. This article never states a direct and promised causation such that contraceptives cause cancer. What it rather does is use verbiage such as “may slightly increase” and “research suggests.”

According to Cancer.Gov, contraceptive use may increase cancer risk due to synthetic hormones that mimic the natural occurrence of estrogen and progesterone, which alone stimulate the development of some cancers. These synthetic hormones deposit receptors for naturally occurring hormones which may increase cancer risk, however these receptors may pose decreased risk of certain cancer risk as well. 

The possibility of increased cancer risk due to contraceptive use certainly exists, but cancer is not a definite causal outcome.

Oral Contraceptives (Birth Control Pills) and Cancer Risk - NCI

NCBI

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov › books › NBK234348

Oral Contraceptives and Breast Cancer: A Review of the Epidemiological Evidence with an Emphasis on Younger Women - Oral Contraceptives & Breast Cancer - NCBI Bookshelf