V.D. and the pill.

Since the mid-1960s oral contraceptives have been frequently criticized on the ground that they are either a direct or indirect but significant cause of the increasing numbers of cases of venereal disease - especially gonorrhea. These criticisms have often been confused and unsupported by facts. The Family Planning Information Service in London concludes that "there is no evidence that conclusively supports the argument for a relationship between increased use of the pill and venereal disease." For women with gonorrhea, oral contraceptive use may protect them from developing pelvic inflammatory disease. However, there is sometimes the danger of pill-users mistakenly believing that the pill will prevent venereal disease.