Science gets behind using the pill for pain

Ever stayed home during your period with cramps so bad you wished you didn’t have uterus? As many as one in seven young women have. A new study from Sweden shows that women who use the pill have significantly less painful periods than those who don’t. Women in the study answered questions about birth control and the amount of discomfort experienced during periods at age 19 and again at age 24. The participants who started using the pill during the study had less painful periods; those who stopped using the pill had more painful periods. In general, women’s periods got slightly less painful as they got older, but the pill resulted in a larger decrease in period-related pain regardless of age. So if you’re suffering on a monthly basis, there’s one more reason to consider using a method that can make your periods lighter or non-existent. [TIME]