Before the Pill, poor health in women was commonly due to having too many unintended pregnancies too close together. Now women can space their children or choose to remain childless. In 1960, three years before the Pill became available, nearly 1,600 U.S. women died of complications associated with childbirth. By 1991, advances in reproductive technology, including the Pill and safe and legal abortion, reduced the number of maternal deaths to 323. In fact, protection against cancer of the ovaries or the lining of the uterus can last up to 15 years after stopping the Pill.
Smoking is one of American women's greatest health risks.
Women who smoke die nearly 16 years earlier than nonsmokers. Smoking increases the risk of cervical cancer. Smoking is also associated with cancers of the mouth, throat, pancreas, and bladder. The Pill, like all medications, has some side effects and poses some health risks, but to a much lesser degree than smoking. Side effects may include temporary irregular bleeding, breast tenderness, weight gain or loss, and other discomforts.