Firstly, I don't think you should be worried about your period being a little late in the months after discontinuing hormonal birth control, especially if you're not sexually active. If you go more than 3 months without a period, then see a doctor, but a few days late, even with a history of regularity, is not a sign of anything serious. I agree with archangelbeth that a B-vitamin supplement (not just a multivitamin) throughout the month should help with your PMS.
I don't know what kind of cancer your mother had, but birth control is only related to a few types. It slightly decreases your chances of ovarian and uterine cancer but slightly increases your chances of cervical and breast cancer. The increase is not as large as the risk presented by pregnancy, if that gives you an idea of how slight it is.
In the case of breast cancer, the risk returns to that of the general population within ten years of discontinuing pill use, so unless you have a family history of particularly aggressive breast cancers that occur before menopause, it's unimaginably unlikely that the pill could affect your chances of developing breast cancer.
And when it comes to cervical cancer, the tie to hormonal birth control is indirect; the cancer is caused by a sexually transmitted virus, and pill users are less likely to protect themselves with barriers because they don't need further contraception, so they have higher rates of the virus. Not that it's an issue now if you're still a virgin, but the best way to protect yourself from cervical cancer is to get regular Pap screenings once you're sexually active.
Hopefully this answers your questions about cancer and the pill!
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Date: 2010-04-20 07:54 am (UTC)I don't know what kind of cancer your mother had, but birth control is only related to a few types. It slightly decreases your chances of ovarian and uterine cancer but slightly increases your chances of cervical and breast cancer. The increase is not as large as the risk presented by pregnancy, if that gives you an idea of how slight it is.
In the case of breast cancer, the risk returns to that of the general population within ten years of discontinuing pill use, so unless you have a family history of particularly aggressive breast cancers that occur before menopause, it's unimaginably unlikely that the pill could affect your chances of developing breast cancer.
And when it comes to cervical cancer, the tie to hormonal birth control is indirect; the cancer is caused by a sexually transmitted virus, and pill users are less likely to protect themselves with barriers because they don't need further contraception, so they have higher rates of the virus. Not that it's an issue now if you're still a virgin, but the best way to protect yourself from cervical cancer is to get regular Pap screenings once you're sexually active.
Hopefully this answers your questions about cancer and the pill!