- Conference
- 2003 National Women's Conference
- Date
- 18 October 2002
- Decision
- Carried
The Pill has made it possible for women to decide when and how many children they will give birth to – something which has revolutionised women’s lives and is an important issue in women’s rights.
Taking the Contraceptive Pill at any stage in a woman’s life increases the chance of breast cancer according to new research.
Women who have taken the Pill at any time have a slightly increased chance of developing the cancer.
Their risk rose by just over a quarter – 26%, compared with women who had never used the Pill. The study was presented at the Third European Breast Cancer Conference in Barcelona.
The data was compiled from data collected from 103,000 women aged between 30 and 49 in Norway and Sweden.
It showed that women who had taken the Pill over longer periods increased their risk of breast cancer by 58% compared with those who never used it.
However, the highest increased risk of 144% was amongst women aged over 45 who were still using the Pill.
Dr. Merethe Kumie, who carried out the research, told the BBC “it is clear that oral contraceptives increase women’s risk of developing breast cancer, particularly when they are used in the later period of reproductive life”.
We therefore ask the National Women’s Conference to:
1)Bring this issue to the attention of the National Women’s Committee for inclusion in their Women’s Health Pack.
2)Include any new research in UNISON publications.