Do contraceptive pills increase the risk of cancer? Social media platforms, including TikTok and Instagram, are flooded with claims that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has listed the birth control pills as Group 1 Carcinogen, a potential risk in causing cancer. But is it true? While WHO does consider some types of contraception pills to be carcinogenic, the reality is much more than what is understood. From what started on TikTok, the viral claims took over Instagram with posts claiming that “Did you know the birth control pill is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen?” However, there’s much more one should know. Male Birth Control Pill YCT-529 Passes Early Human Safety Test: How Does It Prevent Sperm Production Without Hormones? When Will It Be Available?
Did WHO ‘List’ Birth Control Pills As Group 1 Carcinogen?
The viral post in question claimed, “Did you know the birth control pill is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen? The same category as tobacco and asbestos. Yet it’s handed out casually, even to young girls, with little to no warning about the risks.” It continued, “This isn’t fear-mongering. It’s about informed consent. If tobacco needs a warning label… shouldn’t birth control come with one too?” Similar claims earlier took over TikTok, prompting alarm among social media users. Birth Control Side Effects: 5 Ways the Emergency Contraceptive Pill Affects Your Health.
WHO ‘List’ Birth Control Pills As Group 1 Carcinogen
No. It is not true that WHO has “listed” birth control pills as a Group 1 Carcinogen, as social media users are claiming. But it must be noted that the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), WHO’s cancer agency, has included certain contraceptive pills on its list of substances “carcinogenic to humans” since 2005. The classification, published in its monograph series, indicated there was sufficient evidence from studies to support this conclusion.
There are two types of the hormonal contraceptive pill – the combined pill (containing the hormones oestrogen and progestogen) and the mini pill (containing progestogen only). Only the combined pill is included on the WHO’s Group 1 Carcinogen. This means there is sufficient evidence that it can cause cancer in humans. Meanwhile, the mini pill is currently categorised in the IARC’s Group 2B, considered as “possibly carcinogenic to humans.” However, several studies have found that both these pills slightly increase the risk of breast cancer in women. There is again data that suggests the contraceptive pill can reduce the risk of other types of cancer, like colorectal and bowel cancers. In conclusion, the viral claim seems only partly true. But more studies are required to determine the relationship between cancer and contraceptive pills, which will give women much more clarity about birth control methods.
Fact check
Claim :
WHO ‘List’ Birth Control Pills As Group 1 Carcinogen
Conclusion :
The viral claim is only partly true. IARC, WHO’s cancer agency, has included certain contraceptive pills on its list of substances “carcinogenic to humans” since 2005. But only the combined pill is included on the WHO’s Group 1 Carcinogen.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 05, 2025 11:27 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).