Can The Pill Make Your Life Longer?

Posted on March 12, 2010 by Lolita Carrico

New research finds that women who take birth control pills may live longer — despite warnings about blood clot risks associated with the pill. In a long-term study of more than 45,000 women, Scottish researchers found that women who use oral contraceptives had lower rates of death due to cancers, heart disease and stroke.

Because the study looked at women over the past forty years, lead researcher Philip Hannaford did qualify the findings, saying:

“It would be wrong for me to say these results directly apply to today’s pills, today’s women, but from the few studies that have been done on the newer pills we are finding similar effects as the older pills. So one would suppose that the overall benefit from the newer pills is equally as good.”

But ultimately, the findings do indicate that birth control pills do protect women from serious illness and could make us live longer.