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Two women I know suffer from Uterine Fibroids [1] and their doctors both have said in so many words "the uterus is good for two things, growing babies and growi

Two women I know suffer from Uterine Fibroids [1] and their doctors both have said in so many words "the uterus is good for two things, growing babies and growing tumors". Both of these women took hormonal birth controls for most of their lives, and learned only after being diagnosed with fibroids that hormonal birth control promotes the growth of fibroids (and cancer). They're both pissed, and have both been advised to have hysterectomies. Through this lens, I get the impression that giving the uterus a break and letting things shed regularly is probably not a bad idea. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uterine_fibroid https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uterine_fibroid

ukulele 8y ago
The article you link to literally says the cause is not known and does not mention any links to birth control... > The exact cause of uterine fibroids is unclear. However, fibroids run in families and appear to be partly determined by hormone levels. Risk factors include obesity and eating red meat.
- whatshisface 8y ago
  Hormone levels are impacted by birth control, maybe that's the mechanism.
- newnewpdro 8y ago
  Reading comprehension fail; nowhere in my comment did I use the word 'cause'. The hormones involved in hormonal birth control are growth factors. If you have uterine fibroids (or a fetus), the hormones help them grow.
Erlich_Bachman 8y ago
Can you link any science showing that "hormonal birth control promotes the growth of fibroids (and cancer)."?
- newnewpdro 8y ago
  This is not something I've spent much time looking into. When my friends mentioned their health problems to me, which happened roughly all at the same time as I was visiting family and friends in another state, I was motivated enough to read up on what the heck fibroids are (I had never heard of them) and at least do some plausibility checks on what they were saying the doctors told them. What I came up with in my cursory reading is hormonal birth control increases levels of the very hormones complementary to the growth of a fetus which also happens to help other things like fibroids/polyps/tumors whatever in the area to grow. I don't know that one can make the claim that the hormonal birth controls cause fibroids or cancer, as in increases the probability of these things developing. The trouble is once something like this is present, the birth control hormones make them grow larger and faster. After a quick google search just now I found [1], which states: "To help prevent more growth of the fibroid, your doctor may recommend that you stop taking birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy. But in some cases, your doctor may prescribe birth control pills to help control the bleeding and anemia from fibroids, even though the hormones may cause fibroids to grow." I think there's a lot of mixed information out there and probably a lot of suppression from the industry going on, because of course there's a lot of money to be made in prescribing hormonal birth controls. If I had a teen-aged daughter, given what I've come to understand about hormonal birth control, I'd consider a copper IUD. [1] https://www.webmd.com/women/uterine-fibroids/understanding-uterine-fibroids-treatment https://www.webmd.com/women/uterine-fibroids/understanding-u...
  - Erlich_Bachman 8y ago
    > I think there's a lot of mixed information out there and probably a lot of suppression from the industry going on, because of course there's a lot of money to be made in prescribing hormonal birth controls. This is of course your choice, which, as a grown adult you are forced to make sometimes. But it seems there is no scientific data showing this way or the other way. It just seems very ill-advised in general to claim that birth-control are somehow causing fibroid then. You write that "there is a lof of mixed information", but by backing unsubstantiated claims you are adding to the mix and confusion, - not clearing it up. > a lot of money to be made in prescribing hormonal birth controls There is also a lot of money to be made on traffic from spreading confusion and publishing controversing articles, as well as ultimately "alternative" "natural medicine" remedies, which people will naturaly will be drawn towards if they would be made believe that normal ones are dangerous. Just simple possibility of financial gain of some parties is just not a good analysis tool, it's just too circumstantial and rarely brings any real information. I hope of course that the science will catch up soon and we can figure this out definitevely. (did not downvote).

ukulele 8y ago

The article you link to literally says the cause is not known and does not mention any links to birth control... > The exact cause of uterine fibroids is unclear. However, fibroids run in families and appear to be partly determined by hormone levels. Risk factors include obesity and eating red meat.

whatshisface 8y ago
Hormone levels are impacted by birth control, maybe that's the mechanism.
newnewpdro 8y ago
Reading comprehension fail; nowhere in my comment did I use the word 'cause'. The hormones involved in hormonal birth control are growth factors. If you have uterine fibroids (or a fetus), the hormones help them grow.

Erlich_Bachman 8y ago

Can you link any science showing that "hormonal birth control promotes the growth of fibroids (and cancer)."?

newnewpdro 8y ago
This is not something I've spent much time looking into. When my friends mentioned their health problems to me, which happened roughly all at the same time as I was visiting family and friends in another state, I was motivated enough to read up on what the heck fibroids are (I had never heard of them) and at least do some plausibility checks on what they were saying the doctors told them. What I came up with in my cursory reading is hormonal birth control increases levels of the very hormones complementary to the growth of a fetus which also happens to help other things like fibroids/polyps/tumors whatever in the area to grow. I don't know that one can make the claim that the hormonal birth controls cause fibroids or cancer, as in increases the probability of these things developing. The trouble is once something like this is present, the birth control hormones make them grow larger and faster. After a quick google search just now I found [1], which states: "To help prevent more growth of the fibroid, your doctor may recommend that you stop taking birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy. But in some cases, your doctor may prescribe birth control pills to help control the bleeding and anemia from fibroids, even though the hormones may cause fibroids to grow." I think there's a lot of mixed information out there and probably a lot of suppression from the industry going on, because of course there's a lot of money to be made in prescribing hormonal birth controls. If I had a teen-aged daughter, given what I've come to understand about hormonal birth control, I'd consider a copper IUD. [1] https://www.webmd.com/women/uterine-fibroids/understanding-uterine-fibroids-treatment https://www.webmd.com/women/uterine-fibroids/understanding-u...
- Erlich_Bachman 8y ago
  > I think there's a lot of mixed information out there and probably a lot of suppression from the industry going on, because of course there's a lot of money to be made in prescribing hormonal birth controls. This is of course your choice, which, as a grown adult you are forced to make sometimes. But it seems there is no scientific data showing this way or the other way. It just seems very ill-advised in general to claim that birth-control are somehow causing fibroid then. You write that "there is a lof of mixed information", but by backing unsubstantiated claims you are adding to the mix and confusion, - not clearing it up. > a lot of money to be made in prescribing hormonal birth controls There is also a lot of money to be made on traffic from spreading confusion and publishing controversing articles, as well as ultimately "alternative" "natural medicine" remedies, which people will naturaly will be drawn towards if they would be made believe that normal ones are dangerous. Just simple possibility of financial gain of some parties is just not a good analysis tool, it's just too circumstantial and rarely brings any real information. I hope of course that the science will catch up soon and we can figure this out definitevely. (did not downvote).