Birth Control Benefits Beyond Pregnancy Prevention

You know birth control pills can help you avoid getting pregnant, but the pill can have other benefits, too, including making your period less painful and more regular, clearing up your skin, and lowering your risk of some cancers.

While birth control is the most common reason people use the pill, 14% of pill users take it only for other reasons. And more than half of pill users rely on it at least in part for purposes other than pregnancy prevention. Benefits of taking birth control pills beyond preventing pregnancy include:

Regular Periods
Birth control pills can help even out your period so you know exactly when it’s coming. Traditional birth control pills contain the hormones estrogen and progestin, which are similar to the hormones your ovaries make. You take hormone-containing “active” pills for 3 weeks, followed by 1 week of inactive pills. You get your period the week you take the inactive pills.

Newer options let you use the pills to control your period in the way that works best for you and your lifestyle. Some products now have 24 active pills and 4 inactive pills, making your monthly cycle shorter. With these extended-cycle types, you take active pills for a longer amount of time. One option is to take 3 months of active pills before you take a break. This means you’ll only have your period four times a year. You can even plan to avoid your period during busy times like final exams, sports activities, or social events. With newer extended-cycle options, you can take active pills every day for a year and stop your period altogether.

Another type, known as the minipill, can stop your period or make it lighter. You take this pill every day for 28 days.

Help With Cramps, PMS, and Anemia
Taking birth control pills may lower your risk of heavy menstrual bleeding by preventing ovulation and making the lining of the uterus thinner. A lighter period lowers your risk of iron-deficiency anemia, which results from heavy bleeding. The pill may also ease painful cramps because it prevents ovulation and lightens your period.

If you have PMS (premenstrual syndrome) or PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder), birth control pills may ease symptoms like mood swings, breast soreness, weight gain, bloating, and acne by evening out hormone levels during your cycle. Using the pill to balance your hormone levels may also lead to fewer and less severe menstrual-related migraines.