Finally, some good news for women who take the pill.
After a major study was released last year linking the contraceptive pill to depression and a warning was released about blood clots, the cons of the pill seemed to outweigh the pros as a contraception option.
But now, another big study has revealed that the pill is linked to a reduced risk in several types of cancers, which can last for up to 35 years after you stop taking it.
The Oral Contraception Study, which was established by the Royal College of General Practitioners, has followed 46,000 women since 1968 to examine the long-term impact of the pill.
The study found that taking the pill for any amount of time lowered the cases of bowel cancer by 19%, endometrial cancer by 34% and ovarian cancer by 33%.
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Chair of the Royal College of GPs Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard said, “Millions of women who use the combined oral contraceptive pill should be reassured by this comprehensive research that they are not at increased risk of cancer as a result – and that taking the pill might actually decrease their risk of certain cancers.
“This is not to advocate that women should be given the pill as a preventative measure against cancer as we know that a minority of women do have adverse health effects as a result of taking the pill.”
It should be noted that the study also found that taking the pill slightly increased chances of breast cancer and cervical cancer, but this increased risk disappeared after users stopped taking the pill.
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