What Are the Benefits of Oral Contraceptives?

Oral contraceptives are combinations of two hormones, progestin and estrogen, or progestin alone. There are many benefits of oral contraceptives (birth control pills), including safety, convenience, reversibility of effects, fairly low cost and relief from menstrual symptoms.

Safety

• According to Planned Parenthood, taking oral contraceptives has been shown to be safe. The Mayo Clinic also reports that using continuous birth control (i.e., not taking placebo pills between hormone pills in order to reduce the number of periods) has also been shown to be safe, although bleeding between periods may occur.

Convenience

• Using oral contraception only requires taking one pill every day. Additionally, once a prescription is obtained, the pills are easy to get, according to Planned Parenthood.

Significance

• Once birth control is stopped, its effects can be reversed without any lasting negative effects. This means that a woman who goes off the pill can easily become pregnant in the future.

Cost

• The costs associated with taking oral contraceptives are fairly low. According to Planned Parenthood, the cost is between fifteen and fifty dollars a month, in addition to occasional doctor's visits.

Relief

• Both combination and progestin-only pills offer women can make periods lighter and reduce cramping, as well as lowering a woman's chances of developing pelvic inflammatory disease, according to Planned Parenthood.

Other Effects

• Planned Parenthood reports that combination pills have other benefits, including: reduced acne; lower risk of noncancerous growths in the breasts, ectopic pregnancy, some cancers, anemia due to iron deficiency and ovarian cysts; and relief from PMS symptoms like headache and depression.