Autism & the pill

[Martian Martian]

Given the number of articles questioning the link between the MMR vaccine and autism, I got to thinking about other possible environmental triggers. Diet, pollution, additives etc.

And then I wondered if anyone had ever studied the effects of the contraceptive pill in relation to autism? I googled it, and the only thing I came up with was this...

 

LINK: Medical News Today report

 

In the January [2006] issue of The Journal of Sexual Medicine, researchers have published a new investigation measuring sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) before and after discontinuation of the oral contraceptive pill. The research concluded that women who used the oral contraceptive pill may be exposed to long-term problems from low values of "unbound" testosterone potentially leading to continuing sexual, metabolic, and mental health consequences.

 

Sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) is the protein that binds testosterone, rendering it unavailable for a woman's physiologic needs. The study showed that in women with sexual dysfunction, elevated SHBG in "Oral Contraceptive Discontinued-Users" did not decrease to values consistent with those of "Never-Users of Oral Contraceptive". Thus, as a consequence of the chronic elevation in sex hormone binding globulin levels, pill users may be at risk for long-standing health problems, including sexual dysfunction.

 

Low values of unbound testosterone? How low? Enough to make a difference in a developing feotus?

 

I know that the feotal testosterone theory is being researched by ARC in Cambridge (Simon Baron-Cohen and chums). LINK: research papers.

 

In essence, they are studying the effects on children of increased levels of testosterone in amniotic fluid, with some interesting findings.

 

Now, science makes me come out in a rash, but I started wondering about other bits of 'social evidence'

out there; for example, the much lower than expected incidence of reported autism in China.

 

As I understand, it's very difficult to get any sort of ASD diagnosis in China for reasons I assume are political or cultural. So, drawing any conclusions using 'evidence' from China is bad science - but hey - I'm not a scientist, so I don't care.

 

This is an extract of a UN report. LINK: Birth control in China

 

It is clear that China has very high rates of sterilization and IUD users. About half of the contraceptive users have been sterilized and more than 40 per cent depend on IUDs. The table shows that the Republic of Korea has the highest rate of sterilization (58 per cent), and China has the second highest rate of sterilization and the highest rate of IUD users. In total, about 90 per cent of contraceptive users in China during 1988 depended on those two methods. For use of the pill, condoms and other contraceptive methods, China has the lowest rates among all the selected Asian countries and areas.

 

So, the contraceptive pill has clearly not been a major part of China's birth control programme; after all, state control can only be guaranteed if you are fitting IUDs or sterilizing your citizens. So, if there was a link between the pill and autism, you would expect western cultures to show an increase in rates of autism since the late sixties / early seventies, and you would also expect a lower incidence in a country like China.

 

Do any of you know of any 'proper' science out there related to this subject?

[Lucas]

I also love it when Generation Rescue claims *there are no Autistics in China* and say it's because they don't stick Mercury in their vaccines(even if a lot of Chinese medicine is as much as 11% Mercury by weight) when you simply can't get credible numbers out of China.

[lil_me]

Pill tablet form I won't take anyway as thats what my consultant believes caused my liver damage

 

I know someone whos son is Chinese, lived there until he was 17 who has Autism, but was only diagnosed when he moved to Canada makes you wonder doesn't it, until then they said he had 'Learning Problems'

 

I think there is millions a theories on what caused Autism, if they spent so much supporting these people instead of trying to find out why we might get somewhere in life. Instead of trying to find out why it happened and trying to cure them, maybe better education and supportk, suppose they'll never think of it that way.

Edited June 5, 2006 by lil_me