Brook' s position on the pill
Brook believes that women should be given impartial information and advice to help them make an informed choice about the type of contraception they would like to use.
While welcoming increased condom use as protection against sexually transmitted infections, Brook is concerned that young people
The pill is one of the most effective and safe forms of contraceptive benefiting millions of women over the years.
Women concerned about the pill should not stop taking their pill immediately and risk an unplanned pregnancy, but visit their GP, Brook or family planning clinic to discuss the concerns. A high quality professional medical consultation presents the risks and benefits of hormonal contraception and includes full counselling in the use of the client
Young women should also be alerted to the importance of being aware of a family or personal history of circulatory disease to help to ensure that the pill is not prescribed to a woman with an adverse medical history.
Brook always encourages use of condoms with the pill to protect young people against sexually transmitted infections.
Background Information
29% of all Brook clients currently choose an oral contraceptive as their primary method of contraception and just over 20% of new clients choose the pill at their first visit.
Pill use tends to increase with age. Only 14% of under 16 year olds choose the pill compared with 21% of 16-19s and 39% of 20-24 year olds.
The long term trend in pill use has been downwards, declining from the choice of 86% of clients in 1982, although there are signs that the decline may be beginning to level off.
Pill use by Brook clients fell 10% following the pill scare in 1995 which associated third-generation pills with an increased risk of deep vein thrombosis.
Used properly both the combined pill and progestogen only pill are more than 99% effective.
According to a study in 1999 by pill manufacturer Janssen-Cilag up to 20% of unwanted pregnancies could be caused because women are not given enough information on the pill.
There are risks and benefits associated with use of the pill. Combined pill users have a slightly increased risk of venous thrombo-embolism, breast cancer and cervical cancer. These risks are balanced by the protection the combined pill offers against cancer of the ovary and womb.
