According to Maria Cheng from the Associated Press, a new study revealed that women who took birth control in the 1960s lived longer than those who were never on the pill. “British researchers observed more than 46,000 women for nearly four decades from 1968. They compared the number of deaths in women on the pill to those who never took it,” reports Cheng. The study found that women normally took the pill for about four years, and by taking the pill their risk of dying from bowel cancer was lowered by 38 percent, and their risk of dying from any other diseases was lowered by 12 percent.
Doctors don’t exactly know why birth control contributes to a lower death rate; “it contains synthetic hormones to suppress ovulation, which may have some role in preventing certain diseases,” states Cheng. Doctors say that it might be that women on the pill are healthier than those who are not on the pill. “In the longer term, the health benefits of the contraceptive pill outweigh any risks,” said Richard Anderson, a gynecologist at the University of Edinburgh.
Thinking about getting on the pill? Find an OB/GYN in your area.
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