Can the pill help protect you from ovarian cancer?

Yes. Research shows that people with ovaries who had ever used the pill for birth control were 25% less likely to develop ovarian cancer later in their lives.

The pill offered the strongest protection from ovarian cancer when used for a year or longer. People who used the pill for 10 years were 50% less likely to develop ovarian cancer. The pill’s protective effect lasted for a long time, too—up to 20 years after people stopped taking it.