QUESTION: I have had breast cancer, lumpectomy, and radiation. My daughter is 16 and recently started a conversation with me about going on the pill when she is older. Do you think the pill is safe under these conditions? I am the only one in my extended family with breast cancer.
ANSWER: Your personal history of breast cancer should not limit your daughter's ability to use birth control pills. There has not been any consistent correlation between use of birth control pills and breast cancer risk. (Birth control pills do decrease the risk of ovarian cancer.) She needs to go over the pros and cons of the pill with her doctor and decide what to do based on other factors. Sounds like it's a good time to have a conversation about safe sex and to consider the reduced risk of sexually transmitted diseases that condoms offer.
It's great that you have an open relationship with your daughter. Keep the conversation going over the years. There's so much to share and talk about. What a wonderful connection to have. Enjoy that!
—Marisa Weiss, M.D.
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