
We’ve rounded up all the most important headlines around this afternoon, so it’ll only take a few minutes to get your afternoon news fix.
1. Oral contraceptive pill linked to brain tumours: study.
A Danish study has found that young women who take hormonal contraceptives, including the Pill, for five years or more may be at risk of developing a rare type of brain tumour.
Researchers identified a possible link between contraceptive use and glioma risk, but say more research is required.
Gliomas are a rare type of cancer that affect women of reproductive age.
Director of clinical Services & Medical Director at Family Planning NSW Dr Deborah Bateson said that the research would not affect clinical practice in Australia.
“Even with a modest increase in risk of up to 2-fold associated with hormonal contraceptive use found in this study, the absolute risk remains very, very low,” Dr Bateson said.
She praised the research but said that a number of other factors, including Body Mass Index and other reproductive factors such as menopause, would need to be taken into account in further studies.
“Women need always to be informed about the risks and the benefits of all contraceptive choices to make an informed choice about the best option for them so it is important that we continue to generate evidence about the impact of contraception on health,” she said.
2. Sydney siege: Counter-terrorism specialist says weapons used by police may have contributed to death Katrina Dawson.
By ABC
A former member of the Australian military’s elite domestic counter-terrorism unit has publicly questioned the choice of weapon used by police in last month’s Sydney Lindt cafe siege.