Birth control pills may cut risk of ovarian cysts

Women using oral contraceptives (birth control pills) are considerably less likely to develop ovarian cysts than those not taking the pill as reported recently by researchers. Ovarian cysts are small, fluid-filled growths on the ovaries. The specific type of cyst examined in the new study is a fairly common kind known as a functional ovarian cyst. These cysts form when an egg follicle in the ovary grows but does not rupture and release the egg during ovulation. Functional cysts are non-cancerous and usually disappear within a few months, though sometimes surgery is necessary to remove a large, growing cyst or one that is causing severe pain.Researchers at the department of obstetrics and gynaecology at Odense University Hospital in Odense, Denmark, carried out a study among 428 women aged 14 to 45. They found that 29 had functional ovarian cysts. When they compared women using oral contraceptives to those using non-hormonal intrauterine devices (IUDs) or no method of contraception, those on the pill were 78% less likely to develop functional ovarian cysts than the other women. The risk of developing ovarian cysts was not linked to a woman's age, height, weight or the number of children she had given birth to. Birth control pills suppress ovulation and therefore may prevent ovarian cysts by blocking the formation of egg follicles in the ovaries. The results indicate that oral contraceptives have a protective effect against the development of functional ovarian cysts. All of the women using birth control pills were taking lower-dose versions commonly prescribed today. Most of the cysts resolved on their own within a few months.