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2007-9-3 23:09:36 |
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Modern birth-control pills, while safer than their early predecessors, often are less effective and may require new minimum standards, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday. In documents posted on the FDA Web site, the agency said some modern birth-control pills have at least twice the failure rate as earlier contraceptives, most likely because they contain lower doses of hormones that prevent ovulation, the Associated Press reported. The FDA has convened a panel of experts this week to decide whether new minimum standards of effectiveness are needed, the wire service reported. Older birth-control pills carried risks of blood clots and cardiovascular problems, experts told the AP. While the newer pills are thought to be safer, some allow more than two pregnancies for every 100 women years of use, compared to pills approved in the 1960s that allowed less than one pregnancy per 100 women when taken for at least a year. Some 11.6 million U.S. women between ages 15 and 44 use birth-control pills as contraception, the AP reported. ----- Last Updated: Jan. 23, 2007 Copyright © 2007 ScoutNews LLC. All rights reserved. |
