After my housework-avoiding session yesterday, I woke this a.m. knowing I
was due for another one ;-). I was thnking of the fact that it is of
course not the menses themselves that cause the changes in the breast
tissue, but the hormonal cycle that precedes each one. And that brought
me to the subject of BCP, which of course are of many types and different
hormone formulations, including the new ones that allow one to go for
three months between periods and have only 4 per year, for convenience
sake, such as women in the service, etc.

I seem to remember a simplistic explanation that BCP's fool your body
that you are already pregnant, and so tell it not to ovulate. Obviously,
for all the years that BCP's have been in use, we would have heard about
it if they had a negative effect on breast development and function would
we not? Maybe it's the pseudo-pregnant state that't preventing negative
effect/retaining positive effect on breast development? In fact,
somewhere in the dim recesses of my mind, do I remember a glimmer that
breast cancer rates are actually somewhat lower in women who have used
them consistently, or is that erroneous wishful thinking?? Anyone with
evidence-based information on this subject??? It's information we could
all use in dealling with women of reproductive age.

Jean
************
K. Jean Cotterman RNC, IBCLC
Dayton, Ohio USA

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