Contraindications to Combined Hormonal Contraception

The Combined Oral Contraceptive Pill (COCP), often referred to as the birth-control pill, or simply "the Pill", is a combination of an estrogen (oestrogen) and a progestin (progestogen) , taken by mouth to inhibit normal female fertility.

You may increase your risk to problems related to COCP if you have:

• Blood clots or history of blood clots
• A history of stroke or heart attack
• Coronary artery disease
• Known or suspected breast cancer, or cancer of uterus, cervix or vagina
• Unexplained vaginal bleeding
• Jaundice (yellowing of the whites of the eyes or skin) during pregnancy or during previous use of the pill
• Liver tumor
• Known or suspected pregnancy
• A planned surgery with prolonged bed-rest
• Though not listed by the FDA, most clinicians consider smoking in someone older than 35 to be a contraindication. The World Health Organization (WHO) does list this as a contraindication.