UK studies have revealed that women who take oral contraceptive pills place themselves at an increased risk of developing inflammatory bowel disease.

There has been convincing evidence of an association between smoking and family history and inflammatory bowel disease but until now little to suggest a link with oral contraceptives and the development of bowel diseases.

Researchers at the Imperial College, London reviewed 14 studies that were published between 1983 and 2007. The data that was reported in the studies was on the use of oral contraceptives and the development of Crohn’s disease and Colitis.

Over 75,000 patients took part in the studies during the 24 year period with 36,797 women using oral contraceptive pills and 39,018 women who did not.

Once smoking habits had been accounted for, women who currently use oral contraceptives were 46% more likely to develop Crohn’s disease and this increased with length of use of the drug. And 28% of women were more likely to develop ulcerative colitis that those participants who didn’t use the oral contraceptive pills.

The research team also found that the risk of inflammatory bowel disease and associated use of the oral contraceptive pill fell significantly after women stopped using the drug.

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