Birth control pills, like other medication have pros and cons. The advantage is always higher, otherwise the medication would not be approved for production. If you are on the pill for more than 10 years, the risk for ovarian cancer is reduced and the protection is effective for minimum 30 years. Isn't that amazing? It's a disease that is hard to cure. The risk for uterine cancer and colon cancer are also reduced. Birth control pills protect from severe menstrual pain, anemia and iron deficiency, something that many women are affected by when having heavy menstrual bleeding. There is a slight risk for breast cancer and the risk passes when the intake of birth control pills is stopped. Many women are afraid of blood clots and there is a risk, especially during the first weeks when starting with birth control pills, but the risk is higher during pregnancy (even an unwanted pregnancy while waiting for an abortion and an unnecessary risk if there is no wish for a child at that time). This means that the risks have to be weighed against benefits. Weight gain, depression and reduced sex drive cannot be verified in studies but some women experience this and in that case, the type of birth control pill should be switched out. These side effects would appear directly when starting with birth control pills, so one can't blame the pill if starting to gain weight or loosing their sex drive after being on the pill for a year or so. So, yes, you can be on the pill for many years and it is not dangerous. After age 40, you can consider changing to another birth control type or to a pill without estrogen, to reduce the risk for blood clots with increasing age.

Fibroadenoma is a non-cancerous lump that young women can get. If you've had it examined, tested and were diagnosed with fibroadenoma, it cannot develop into cancer. If you are very worried about the lump, if you experience pain or if it grows in size, you should talk to your doctor about removing it.

The most efficient way is to avoid your period if you have severe menstrual pain. Menstruation isn't always good, especially if you don't want to get kids at the moment and for that reason would need to have your period. A hormonal IUD is very effective to treat menstrual pain longterm and many women are very pleased with that option. Mirena is the most efficient alternative. If you don't want to have hormonal treatment, at least avoid copper IUD since it aggravates menstrual pain. Taking ibuprofen or paracetamol regularly helps against menstrual pain and it's important to take it early (always have it in your purse!) before the pain gets worse. It's easier to prevent the pain at an early stage before it's fully developed.

No. Menstruation starts approximately 14 days after ovulation. The egg survives approximately 24 hours after the ovulation has started. It's an impossible equation. There can be other reasons for bleeding but menstruation is a safe period.

I assume you mean a person born with male genitalia who has transitioned to female. What I know, there are no trans women that have a uterus transplanted but I'm not an expert in the area. But there are quite a few cases of people with male gender that have given birth.

There are several reasons for dry mucous membranes. A very common reason is due to washing your genitals with soap. Can we just decide once and for all that soap doesn't belong down there. Possibly a unscented oil, but never soap. There are some rare rheumatic diseases that can cause dry mucous membranes, but in that case it's not limited to genitals but even eyes, mouth, nose etc. You can try applying estrogen locally in vagina to see if that helps. It's prescription free and harmless. If that doesn't help, it could be hormonal. It's very uncommon though if you are still menstruating.

The National Breast Cancer foundation encourage adult women of all ages to perform breast self-exams at least once a month. On their website, you get clear and easy instructions on how to exam your breasts. Mammograms are a great complement to detect cancer before you can feel a lump, breast self-exams help you to be familiar with how your breasts look and feel so you can alert your healthcare professional if there are any changes.

There is also an app by Know Your Lemons® that can you can download for instructions, reminders and a period tracker.