These studies reported risks among OC users about 2 to 20 times greater than risks among nonusers. These studies reported risks among OC users about 2 to 20 times greater than risks among nonusers. This Canadian poster urges pill users to use condoms to prevent AIDS and STDs.
Liver cancer is quite rare, but it is usually fatal within a year of diagnosis.
Therefore, if OCs significantly increased the risk of liver cancer, both incidence of the disease and mortality from it should have risen noticeably since the 1960s, when OCs were introduced. A recent study, however, found no evidence of increased incidence or mortality either in the US or in Sweden, two countries where OCs have been used extensively since the 1960s. Despite some lingering uncertainties, the benefits of oral contraceptives far outweigh the risks for the vast majority of women. Continuing research has made it possible to identify more clearly the few women who face substantial risks and should choose another method of contraception. Forty years after their introduction, OCs remain popular for their convenience, effectiveness, and safety.