Horizon
Season 55 Episode 13 - The Contraceptive Pill: How Safe Is It?
In recent years a groundbreaking new study has been released into the effects of the contraceptive pill. Research from Denmark claimed women on the pill and other forms of hormonal contraception were 70% more likely to be diagnosed with depression than those who were not. And another study has found hormonal contraception was linked to a seemingly dramatic risk of breast cancer. Negative headlines are nothing new for the contraceptive pill - first introduced in 1961, it has had a chequered history with early versions linked to cancer risk and life-threatening blood clots. Yet hormonal contraception remains Britain's most popular form of birth control, and today over three million women take regular doses of synthetic hormones. So should they be worried about its safety? GP Dr Zoe Williams gets behind the headlines in this Horizon investigation. A specially commissioned, nationwide survey reveals the areas of most concern to British women - from mental health to the risk of cancer and drop in libido. With the help of world leading scientists, Zoe finds out if these concerns are justified and by delving deep into the science around the pills side effects Horizon uncovers some striking revelations - from protecting women against cancer to increasing their risk of suicide.
Episodes in Season 55
My Amazing Brain: Richard's War
60 min
Teenagers vs Cancer: A User's Guide
60 min
How to Build a Time Machine
60 min
Spina Bifida & Me
60 min
Jupiter Revealed
60 min
Stopping Male Suicide
60 min
A Week Without Lying - The Honesty Experiment
60 min
The Placebo Experiment: Can My Brain Cure My Body?
60 min
Body Clock: What Makes Us Tick?
60 min
Avalanche: Making a Deadly Snowstorm
60 min
Vitamin Pills: Miracle or Myth?
60 min
Diagnosis on Demand? The Computer Will See You Now
60 min
The Contraceptive Pill: How Safe Is It?
60 min
