WOMEN WHO SMOKE WHILE USING HORMONAL BIRTH CONTROL ARE GAMBLING
WITH THEIR HEALTH
New survey shows that majority of female smokers continue to do so
despite risks
Smoking while on birth control containing
hormones like The Pill, Patch or Ring may increase the risk of serious
health problems, such as blood clots, stroke and heart attack. A
recent survey reveals that eight out of ten women smokers continued
to do so even though they were aware of the risks associated with
this behavior.1
Survey
Highlights:
| » |
Ninety percent of women who smoke
said they were aware of these risks2, yet 88 percent of women
who have smoked while using hormonal birth control continued
to do so despite these risks.3 |
| » |
Almost half of women who smoke reported that they
have not had a conversation with their healthcare providers about
the risks of smoking while on a hormonal birth control.4 |
| » |
Nearly 60 percent of the women surveyed were not
aware that there is a safe and highly effective, non-hormonal,
birth control option available as an alternative for women smokers.5 |
| » |
Seventy-eight percent of women who currently smoke
describe themselves as heavy smokers (more than one pack per
week), while 14 percent say they are moderate smokers (less than
one pack per week) and only 8 percent say they are light/social
smokers (less than one pack per month).6 |
“These numbers are absolutely alarming to me,” says
Winnie King, MD, Emergency Room Physician at Memorial Hermann Hospital
and St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital in The Woodlands, Texas. “I
tell my patients, don’t smoke, period. However, if you do,
don’t take the risk of jeopardizing your health further by
taking hormonal birth control. There are safe, long-term birth control
options available to women who smoke such as the non-hormonal IUC,
ParaGard®, which is more than 99% effective.”
About the
Survey
The online survey, conducted by a reputable global marketing research
company on behalf of Duramed Pharmaceuticals, asked 625 female
smokers and ex-smokers, ages 30-45, about their smoking habits.
Safety
Information
ParaGard® does not protect against HIV or STDs. You may have
heavier or longer periods or spotting between periods, which usually
subsides after 2-3 months. Complications may occur from placement.
You must not use ParaGard if you have pelvic inflammatory disease
(PID) or engage in behavior putting you at high risk for PID, have
a history of certain reproductive cancers or infections, have Wilson's
disease, or might be pregnant.
Marketing Information
ParaGard® is marketed by Duramed Pharmaceuticals, Inc., the U.S.
proprietary (branded) pharmaceutical subsidiary of Barr Pharmaceuticals,
Inc., a global specialty pharmaceutical company that operates in
more than 30 countries.
Please see full Prescribing Information. For
more information, please visit www.ParaGard.com.
B Roll Hard Copies Available Upon Request, Please Contact:
Lauren Barrish or Michelle Yered
Communications Strategies, Inc.
973-635-6669
1-6 Online Survey “A Study
Among Women Smokers About Hormonal Contraceptive Usage.” Conducted
by Synovate Health Care, November 2007
# # #
|
