What the Research Actually Shows About Birth Control and Cancer Risk

The short answer: birth control slightly raises the risk of some cancers and slightly lowers the risk of others

Hormonal birth control does change cancer risk, but not in one direction across the board. The evidence shows that people using hormonal contraceptives have a modestly higher risk of breast cancer and cervical cancer while using it, and that risk drops after stopping. At the same time, hormonal birth control substantially lowers the risk of ovarian and endometrial cancer, and those protective effects can last for years after you stop using it. The absolute numbers are small enough that for most people the overall cancer picture is neutral or favorable, but the risk is real and worth understanding before you choose a method.

Key Takeaways

Hormonal birth control raises breast cancer risk by a small amount while you are using it; the risk returns to baseline within five years of stopping.
Hormonal birth control raises cervical cancer risk, mainly in people who have been exposed to HPV, and the risk also decreases after stopping.
Hormonal birth control cuts ovarian cancer risk by roughly half and endometrial cancer risk by roughly 50 percent, with protection lasting years after you stop.
The type of hormone, the dose, and how long you use it all affect the size of the risk, so different methods carry different profiles.
Non-hormonal methods like copper IUDs, condoms, and barrier methods carry no known cancer risk from the contraceptive itself.

Breast cancer risk while using hormonal birth control

People currently using hormonal birth control have roughly a 20 to 30 percent higher risk of breast cancer than people not using it. That sounds large, but the baseline risk of breast cancer is already low in younger people, so the actual number of extra cases is small. A 25-year-old using birth control has roughly 1 in 1,600 chance of breast cancer in the next year; without it, roughly 1 in 2,000. The risk is higher for people over 35 and for those using methods with higher hormone doses.

The risk appears to be tied to current use. Once you stop hormonal birth control, your breast cancer risk drops back toward baseline within about five years. Studies of people who used birth control years ago show no lasting increase in risk. The type of hormone matters: combined pills (containing both estrogen and progestin) carry more risk than progestin-only methods like the mini-pill or hormonal IUDs, though all hormonal methods raise it somewhat.

Cervical cancer and birth control

Hormonal birth control is linked to a higher cervical cancer risk, but the connection depends heavily on HPV exposure. Cervical cancer is caused by human papillomavirus (HPV), and birth control does not cause HPV infection. What the evidence shows is that people using hormonal birth control who have been exposed to HPV are more likely to develop cervical cancer than those exposed to HPV who are not using hormonal birth control. The mechanism is not fully understood, but may involve how hormones affect the immune system's ability to clear the virus.

Like breast cancer risk, cervical cancer risk from birth control drops after you stop using it. The risk is also substantially lower now than it was decades ago because of HPV vaccination and cervical cancer screening (Pap tests and HPV tests). If you are using hormonal birth control, regular cervical screening is important regardless, because screening catches precancerous changes before they become cancer.

Ovarian and endometrial cancer: where birth control protects

Hormonal birth control cuts ovarian cancer risk by roughly 40 to 50 percent in people who use it, and the protection lasts for years after stopping. Someone who used birth control for five years might still have reduced ovarian cancer risk ten years later. The longer you use it, the greater the protection, and the protection accumulates—someone who used it for ten years gets more protection than someone who used it for one year.

The same pattern holds for endometrial cancer (cancer of the uterine lining). Hormonal birth control reduces endometrial cancer risk by roughly 50 percent, with protection that persists after stopping. For people with a family history of ovarian or endometrial cancer, this protective effect can be medically significant. The protection applies to all hormonal methods—pills, patches, rings, shots, and hormonal IUDs all reduce these risks.

How method type and dose change the picture

Not all hormonal birth control carries the same risk. Combined oral contraceptives (pills with both estrogen and progestin) raise breast cancer risk more than progestin-only methods. Higher-dose pills raise it more than lower-dose pills. Hormonal IUDs and the implant release progestin directly into the bloodstream at lower overall levels than pills, so they may carry lower breast cancer risk, though the evidence is still being gathered.

Copper IUDs, condoms, diaphragms, and other non-hormonal methods have no known link to cancer risk from the contraceptive itself. If cancer risk is your primary concern and you want to avoid any hormonal effect, non-hormonal methods eliminate that variable entirely. The tradeoff is that they may be less convenient or require more user action at the time of sex.

What "risk" actually means in numbers

Cancer risk from birth control is often described as a percentage increase, which can sound alarming without context. A 20 percent increase in a very rare event is still a rare event. Breast cancer in a 30-year-old is rare; a 20 percent increase makes it slightly less rare, but still uncommon. By contrast, ovarian cancer is rarer than breast cancer, so a 50 percent reduction in an already-rare cancer is a meaningful protection.

Your actual risk depends on your age, family history, whether you smoke, your weight, how much alcohol you drink, and whether you have been exposed to HPV. Someone with a strong family history of breast cancer faces a different calculation than someone with no family history. Your doctor can help you weigh these factors against the contraceptive benefits you are seeking—pregnancy itself carries cancer risks and other health risks that birth control prevents.

What to do if you are concerned about cancer risk

If you are using hormonal birth control and worried about cancer risk, you do not have to stop immediately. Start by talking with your doctor or nurse practitioner about your specific risk factors—age, family history, smoking status, and personal medical history all matter. They can tell you whether the evidence suggests a real concern for you or whether the risk is theoretical.

If you decide hormonal birth control is not right for you, non-hormonal methods exist. If you want to stay on hormonal birth control, lower-dose pills or progestin-only methods carry less breast cancer risk than higher-dose combined pills. If you have a family history of ovarian or endometrial cancer, the protective effect of hormonal birth control may outweigh the breast cancer risk for you. There is no one-size-fits-all answer; it depends on your individual situation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does birth control cause cancer or just increase the risk?

Birth control does not cause cancer in the way a carcinogen does. It changes the statistical likelihood of developing certain cancers. The increase in breast and cervical cancer risk is real but small, and it reverses after stopping. The decrease in ovarian and endometrial cancer risk is also real and can last years after stopping.

If I stop birth control, does my cancer risk go back to normal?

For breast cancer, yes—risk drops back to baseline within about five years of stopping. For cervical cancer, risk also decreases after stopping. For ovarian and endometrial cancer, the protective effect persists for years even after you stop, so you keep some of the benefit.

Is hormonal IUD safer than the pill for cancer risk?

Hormonal IUDs release progestin at lower systemic levels than pills, so they may carry lower breast cancer risk, but the research is still developing. They provide the same ovarian and endometrial cancer protection as pills. If breast cancer risk is your main concern, a hormonal IUD or progestin-only pill may be a better choice than a combined pill.

What if I have a family history of breast cancer?

Family history changes the calculation. Talk with your doctor about your specific risk—some genetic mutations (like BRCA1 or BRCA2) may make hormonal birth control a less suitable choice, while other family histories do not. Your doctor can help you weigh the cancer risks of birth control against the health risks of pregnancy and other contraceptive options.

Does the HPV vaccine reduce the cervical cancer risk from birth control?

The HPV vaccine prevents infection with the viruses that cause cervical cancer. If you are vaccinated before exposure to HPV, you are protected against those strains regardless of birth control use. If you are already exposed to HPV, the vaccine does not undo that, but regular cervical screening catches precancerous changes early.

This guide is for general information only and is not medical, financial, legal, or other professional advice. For decisions specific to your situation, consult a qualified professional. See our Editorial Policy.