The Pill cuts heart disease risk

The Associated Press reported yesterday that the same study that showed health risks for women on Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) now indicates that the birth control pill is not only safe, but actually cuts women’s risk for heart disease.
The study said that women on the Pill also showed lower risk of stroke, and no increased risk of breast cancer. Nice!
This is great news for the 16 million American women who take birth control pills! The lead researcher of the study, Dr. Rahi Victory, said that for women who have ever taken birth control pills, “there’s an 8 percent risk reduction of ever having cardiovascular disease,” and that “if you use oral contraceptives early on, you’re probably going to be protected later in life.” Women taking the Pill also had a 7 percent lower risk of getting any form of cancer.
This good news comes from the Women’s Health Initiative, the largest women’s health study ever conducted.
Gotta say, I was mighty pleased to read this. As someone who has been on the Pill for almost 10 years—and was always a little wary about long-term risks—these results put my mind at ease a bit. What is it about Fridays that seem to bring good news?