TikTok is being flooded with claims that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has listed the pill as a 'class one carcinogen'. Euroverify fact-checks.

Recent viral claims on social media suggest that the World Health Organization (WHO) has just classified the contraceptive pill as a 'class one carcinogen.' However, the WHO's cancer agency has included certain combined contraceptive pills in its Group 1 carcinogen list since 2005, based on sufficient evidence that they can cause cancer in humans. This classification applies only to combined pills containing both estrogen and progestogen, not to all contraceptive pills.

Studies indicate that both combined and mini pills may slightly increase the risk of breast cancer, but they can also reduce the risk of other cancers such as endometrial and bowel cancer. Experts emphasize that the actual risk depends on various factors, including age and family history, and that being on the same list as substances like tobacco or asbestos does not mean the risks are equivalent.

Fact-checking claims that WHO listed contraceptive pill as carcinogen

Is the contraceptive pill carcinogenic as TikTokers claim? TikTok is being flooded with videos claiming the World Health Organization has just listed the contraceptive pill as carcinogenic. But the reality is much more nuanced. Let's break it down. Firstly, this message is not new. The WHO's Specialized Cancer Agency has included certain contraceptive pills on its list 1, indicating they're carcinogenic to humans, since 2005. There are two main types of the pill, the combined pill, which contains both estrogen and progestogen, and the mini pill, which contains only progestogen. Only the combined pill is included on the WHO's so-called list 1, meaning there's sufficient evidence that it can cause cancer in humans. Several studies, however, have found that both of these pills slightly increase the risk of breast cancer in women. But other research has shown they can reduce the risk of other types of cancer, such as endometrial and bowel cancers. Experts say the risk level can also depend on other factors, such as age and family history of cancer. So the relationship between the pill and cancer is complex. We saw several TikTokers claim the WHO has classified the pill as a category 1 carcinogen, on the same level as alcohol, tobacco and asbestos. But this is misleading. The so-called list 1 contains all the substances for which there is sufficient scientific evidence linking them to an increased risk of cancer. This doesn't mean in any way that all substances on the list carry the same risk level.

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