The Pill cuts risk of cancer

According to one of the largest studies undertaken, results show that taking the Pill reduces the risk of developing cancer later in life.

The conclusion of the study, carried out by the University of Aberdeen using data gathered by the Royal College of Physicians, will be reassurance to millions of women who started taking the Pill 30 or 40 years ago and have now reached an age where the risk of cancer is growing.

The study found that the risk of developing cancer was 12 percent lower for women who took the Pill for less than eight years and for women who took the Pill for more than eight years the risk of developing cancer was increased by 22 per cent.

The study involved 46,000 women aged around 29 years old, and were all either married or in a stable relationship. Data from the women had been gathered since 1968 until 2004 and were matched against a group of women who did not take the Pill.

Many women who used the Pill when it was first introduced in the sixties were worried about the affects it would have on their bodies, but this evidence shows that on the whole, taking the contraceptive Pill was not associated with any more risk of developing cancer.

About three million women use the Pill each year in the UK and 100 million around the world. More than 300 million women have used the Pill since its launch in 1961.

Thanks to The Times 12/09/07

Read our articles for more information on post-natal contraception, or when to stop contraception if you are planning a baby.