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Date:         Thu, 21 Jan 1993 16:35:04 MDT
From:         Fred Fowler <frefow@FREFOW.AUTO-TROL.COM>
Subject:      Safety of the Pill
              93 11:09 am

   A number of people wanted more information about the medical
   effects of the Pill, as presented in the book Blessed Are the
   Barren.  One thing to note was that the increased risk for any
   disease is there when all other factors have already been taken
   into account.  For example, in the case of sexually transmitted
   diseases, quite obviously it is impossible to contract one of them
   through use of the Pill alone.

   Now for AIDS:

     "In a prospective study of prostitutes in Nairobi, Kenya: '...an
      increased risk of HIV-1 seroconversion was observed among oral
      contraceptive users independent of sexual activity, intercurrent
      sexually transmitted diseases, and condom use'.  The Pill-using
      prostitutes seroconverted AIDS positive one-third more frequently
      than those not on the Pill.
     "The U.S. Public Health Service funded Walnut Creek Pill study
      and the British Royal College of General Practitioners' 1974
      _Interim Report_ recognized the possible adverse effects of the
      Pill on the body's immune system.
     "The AIDS virus is known to be transmitted via parenteral
      exposure to infected blood or blood products.  The possible
      relationship of this to the Pill is that an increased incidence
      of bleeding of the gums (gingivitis) is found in Pill users"

      References:

        Peter Piot et al., "AIDS: An International Perspective",
        _Science_ (February 5, 1988): 573-79.  It cites a number of
        papers.

        Irwin R. Fisch and Shanna Freedman, "Oral Contraceptives and
        the Leukocyte Count", _The Walnut Creek Contraceptive Drug
        Study: A Prospective Study on the Side Effects of Oral
        Contraceptives, vol. 2, HEW pub. no. (NIH) 76-563, 47-60.

        Royal College of General Practitioners, _Interim Report_,
        1974, chaps. 5 and 7.

        James W. Curran et al., "Epidemiology of HIV Infection and
        AIDS Infection in the United States", _Science_, vol. 239
        (February 5, 1988):610-16.

        Bernard D. Lynn, " 'The Pill' as an Etiologic Agent in
        Hypertropic Gingivitis", _Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, and
        Oral Pathology_, vol. 24 (September 1967):333-34.

        G.M. El-Ashiry et al., "Comparative Study of the Influence of
        Pregnancy and Oral Contraceptives on the Gingivae", _Oral
        Surgery, Oral Medicine, and Oral Pathology_, vol. 30
        (1970):472.

        G.M. El-Ashiry et al., "Effects of Oral Contraceptives on the
        Gingiva", _Journal of Periodontology_, vol. 42 (1971):273-75.

  I could also give references to the possibly increased risk of cervical
  cancer for long-time Pill users, but since this post is already long
  enough, unless someone asks for them, I'll refrain from including
  them.

                                         Fred Fowler
                                         frefow@frefow.auto-trol.com
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU