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Any type of hormonal contraceptive may increase risk of breast cancer

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Re: Any type of hormonal contraceptive may increase risk of breast cancer

#21

Every single girlfriend I had, I asked her to get off contraceptives because of the medical dangers and I didn't want to be responsible for any problems associated with it. Instead I took responsibility for making sure she wouldn't get pregnant. One of my girlfriends actually got mad at me because I was *too* careful about getting her pregnant, and interpreted that as me not wanting to get married to her (which since…

Wow. I'd probably break up with a guy who "asked me to get off contraceptives". If you want to be responsible about preventing pregnancy, that's fantastic. If you feel like that's any more than an input to her decision of whether to be on it, that's a pretty fundamental overreach.

Meh. It's not particularly controversial so you're being overly dramatic.

I didn't force anyone, we had an adult conversation about it and all my gfs were on the same page. If any one of my gfs wanted to stay on contraceptives in the first place, then great, I would still do the exact same thing to avoid getting her pregnant in case she missed a day, etc. My wife wasn't on contraceptives in the first place so it was basically a non-conversation.

I think having an adult conversation is basic expectations for any healthy relationship. If you interpret broaching a subject as being cause for breaking up with someone... well, that's your prerogative.

Re: Any type of hormonal contraceptive may increase risk of breast cancer

#23
post #16

Every single girlfriend I had, I asked her to get off contraceptives because of the medical dangers and I didn't want to be responsible for any problems associated with it. Instead I took responsibility for making sure she wouldn't get pregnant. One of my girlfriends actually got mad at me because I was *too* careful about getting her pregnant, and interpreted that as me not wanting to get married to her (which since…

To be clear: you would never be in any way responsible for problems associated with your partner taking hormonal birth control because it is a choice they make themselves for their own body. > Instead I took responsibility for making sure she wouldn't get pregnant You have to understand what a big statement that is. If she does get pregnant there’s only one person guaranteed to have to deal with the consequences of t…

>it is a choice they make themselves for their own body

But not a choice made in a vacuum. It's a choice made in the context of their relationship.

Re: Any type of hormonal contraceptive may increase risk of breast cancer

#24

Every single girlfriend I had, I asked her to get off contraceptives because of the medical dangers and I didn't want to be responsible for any problems associated with it. Instead I took responsibility for making sure she wouldn't get pregnant. One of my girlfriends actually got mad at me because I was *too* careful about getting her pregnant, and interpreted that as me not wanting to get married to her (which since…

Wow. I'd probably break up with a guy who "asked me to get off contraceptives". If you want to be responsible about preventing pregnancy, that's fantastic. If you feel like that's any more than an input to her decision of whether to be on it, that's a pretty fundamental overreach.

Isn’t any “request” an input only? As opposed to a “command”.

Re: Any type of hormonal contraceptive may increase risk of breast cancer

#25
post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe I'm being overly generous, it seems like it may be possible for this kind of thing to be more of a request out of support/concern for a loved one's health, rather than one of control or knowing better than a woman. It has been my understanding that many men don't consider such things. My lady has had horrendous experiences with hormonal contraceptives. Based on what we know of it, if she ever expressed wanting…

> Maybe it's all about context, I'm not sure +100 For everyone the circumstances and relationship dynamics are different. And it's kind of disheartening to read a well-intentioned comment, see people assuming their own completely different context and then getting slightly aggressive about it.

Well, we've also been given the context that at least one person in the relationship got upset with the demand.

Re: Any type of hormonal contraceptive may increase risk of breast cancer

#26

After I had the kids I wanted, I got a vasectomy. It’s a painless and quick and largely reversible procedure with no side effects and offers 100% contraception. If you care about your partner and are “done,” I highly recommend it.

That's all well and good but there are a lot of situations where women go for birth control where that isn't much of an option.

I certainly didn’t say anything to preclude that. In fact unless the woman is certain of the man, she should control her own contraception. The consequence of a mistake falls disproportionately on her and, well, men are pretty much all assholes, even the well intentioned ones. My message, though, was for men - not for women. Vasectomies are a man’s choice, and the only one we can make that fully insulates the woman in our life from the consequences of sex. Any other measure a man can take is pretty poor in it’s effectiveness.

Re: Any type of hormonal contraceptive may increase risk of breast cancer

#27
post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe I'm being overly generous, it seems like it may be possible for this kind of thing to be more of a request out of support/concern for a loved one's health, rather than one of control or knowing better than a woman. It has been my understanding that many men don't consider such things. My lady has had horrendous experiences with hormonal contraceptives. Based on what we know of it, if she ever expressed wanting…

> Maybe it's all about context, I'm not sure +100 For everyone the circumstances and relationship dynamics are different. And it's kind of disheartening to read a well-intentioned comment, see people assuming their own completely different context and then getting slightly aggressive about it.

It's only disheartening to me because woman live in a society where men perpetually behave like we know what's best for them.

What you're reading as aggression, I'm reading as a reasonable response to a perfectly plausible alternative interpretation, which is that he knows what's best for his girlfriends better than they do for themselves.

So many men have this corrupt mode of thinking that there is now an entire US state issuing bounties on women seeking control over their own bodies.

Re: Any type of hormonal contraceptive may increase risk of breast cancer

#28
post #2

Statistically significant, but slight (~25% increased risk, on average.) Still not great. Obviously, copper IUDs are an alternative for many, though they have their downsides. One of the big uses of hormonal contraception is managing heavy periods, PMDD and other medical conditions. I had a friend who would throw up for days every time she was on her period. It went away pretty completely on birth control.

The magnitude of risk increase in percentage has to be understood in context of baseline probability. 25% additional chance of getting hit by lightning and 25% additional chance of getting heart disease are two completely different results -- I don't mind the first but I would be scared by the second. About 13% of women develop breast cancer during their lifetime. 25% increase is then very significant, this is about…

Thank you for the context. The net increase in risk is what I was looking for.

Re: Any type of hormonal contraceptive may increase risk of breast cancer

#29

Every single girlfriend I had, I asked her to get off contraceptives because of the medical dangers and I didn't want to be responsible for any problems associated with it. Instead I took responsibility for making sure she wouldn't get pregnant. One of my girlfriends actually got mad at me because I was *too* careful about getting her pregnant, and interpreted that as me not wanting to get married to her (which since…

Wow. I'd probably break up with a guy who "asked me to get off contraceptives". If you want to be responsible about preventing pregnancy, that's fantastic. If you feel like that's any more than an input to her decision of whether to be on it, that's a pretty fundamental overreach.

Why does it upset you that GP would be concerned for his GF's health? I also ask my GF's not to take oral contraceptives because of guilt that they're doing damage to their body for me. None have ever responded negatively, and at the end of the day it was a request. All agreed they did not feel great when taking the pills, but continued because of pressure by society/previous partners.

Re: Any type of hormonal contraceptive may increase risk of breast cancer

#30

Every single girlfriend I had, I asked her to get off contraceptives because of the medical dangers and I didn't want to be responsible for any problems associated with it. Instead I took responsibility for making sure she wouldn't get pregnant. One of my girlfriends actually got mad at me because I was *too* careful about getting her pregnant, and interpreted that as me not wanting to get married to her (which since…

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