The Noncontraceptive Health Benefits from Oral Contraceptive Use

Abstract

Studies have documented the protective effects of oral contraceptives (OCs) against 5 diseases: 1) OCs prevent 50-75% of potential cases of benign breast disease; there is an estimated annual reduction of 235 hospitalized cases for every 100,000 U.S. women using OCs or about 20,000 hospitalizations each year. 2)OCs reduce the occurrence of retention cysts of the ovary; an estimated 3000 surgical procedures for ovarian cysts are prevented each year in the U.S. 3) OC users have approximately 45% less iron-deficiency anemia than nonusers due to less menstrual flow. 4) OCs protect against the development of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID); 600 of every 100,000 OC users are prevented from contracting a 1st episode of PID and 156 PID hospitalizations are averted for every 100,000 OC users annually. 5) OCs protect against ectopic pregnancy; approximately 120 hospitalizations/100,000 users are prevented annually. 3 additional diseases may be prevented by OCs, although the evidence is not as conclusive as for the 5 previously discussed; OC users are only 1/2 as likely to develop: 1) rheumatoid arthritis, 2) endometrial cancer, and 3) ovarian cancer as nonusers. OCs have also been shown to reduce the incidence of such disorders as excessive menstrual bleeding, irregular menses, intermenstrual bleeding, painful menstruation, and premenstrual tension.