Does the birth control pill cause heart attacks, strokes, or blood clots?
There is no increase in the risk of heart attack or stroke in healthy women who take the birth control pill and don’t smoke. If your daughter is a smoker, encourage her to quit smoking. She can still take the pill if she smokes, but if she quits smoking, she’ll be healthier for life. There is a very slight risk of developing blood clots in the legs, but much less than the risk during pregnancy. Among women who do not take the pill, 5 per 100,000 women per year develop blood clots. Among women who do take the pill, the risk slightly increases to 15-20 per 100,000 women per year. For women who are pregnant, the risk of developing blood clots is 60 per 100,000 women per year. So you may be surprised to learn that having a child is twice as dangerous as using the birth control pill. Make sure you let your daughter know if any of her blood relatives have had blood clots, especially when they were young (in their 20s, 30s, or 40s). Is there any trouble getting pregnant after using the birth
