Birth control pills have been used for decades, but the long term effects of their use have been uncertain. Women who use them now or who have used them in the past are often concerned about the possible health concerns the oral contraceptives may cause.

After studying 46,000 women for over 40 years, a study being published in the British Medical Journal is putting many fears to rest. They found that women who took birth control pills had a lower chance of death from any causes than women who never took the pills. This includes death caused by heart problems or cancer, which were two areas of concern among oral contraceptive users.

The study also showed that younger contraceptive users had a small increased mortality risk in the 30 to 49 age bracket, but by the time the women reached fifty, the risk disappeared and those who used the birth control pills in many cases lived even longer than those who did not use them.

This long-term study is reassuring for women who used the first birth-control pills. Today’s oral contraceptives are made up of different hormone combinations and further studies will need to prove whether these new generations of birth control pills will be able to boast the same results.