Women’s Health: The Pill and Cancer

There are so many reasons besides “the obvious” for why a woman would go on birth control. Lighter periods and more protection – sounds good enough to me!  But risks of blood clots and the fear of what could happen if you’re on the pill for too long is always a damper.  However, a new study in the British Medical Journal proves the benefits of being on pill are still outweighing the risks.

The study looked at 46,000 women who used oral contraceptives and found that they were 12 percent less likely to suffer from ovarian, bowel and uterine cancers than those who didn’t.  To date, this is the largest and longest study conducted to prove the benefits of the birth control pill.

So don’t worry if you’ve been taking the pill for years — it looks like the odds are in your favor.  Of course, make sure you consult your doctor if you have any concerns.