The pill

Oral contraceptives (OC) are, or perhaps more correctly, were, until recently, being taken by approximately 6.5 million women worldwide, which corresponds to approximately 6% of all women of reproductive age. OCs have been available since the early 1960s and there is substantial evidence to suggest that no single medication has had such a profound impact on our reproduction and social life as the pill. In the Scandinavian countries, 30-50% of young women have been reported to be using OCs. Its widespread use here and elsewhere throughout the world for several decades indicates that women and their doctors have considered that the benefits of OCs outweigh potential side-effects. On October 18th, 1995, the Committee on Safety of Medicines in the United Kingdom sent a warning to all British doctors and pharmacists about OCs containing desogestrel (Marvelon@/Desolett@ and Mercilon@) or gestodene (Gynera@, Milvane@, Minulet@ and Tri-minulet@). A similar warning was subsequently distributed by the German and Norwegian health authorities. As these OC types dominate the market in Northern Europe, many gynecologists, general practitioners, women of reproductive age, different national bodies on drug safety, and people in general have been asking: