New research has revealed that women who have never been prescribed the Pill can expect to live shorter lives compared to those who took the oral contraceptive.
The study which was published online in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) found that women who used the Pill were less likely to die from any cause. This included heart disease and all forms of cancer.
More than 46,000 women took part in the study but the results showed that the benefits for pill takers may only effect those who have taken older-style pills compared to those on newer forms of the drug.
The study also found that women who were under 45 years old and had stopped taking the Pill five to nine years previously had a slightly greater chance of dying.
However, this risk diminished as women got older and was not the case in those with more distant use.
Jo Burgin, from Marie Stopes International, said: "Since the contraceptive pill is the most popular method of contraception in the UK, we are very pleased that research concluding that it is not associated with increased long-term risk of death has been published.
"Women regularly come to our centres for contraceptive advice, many of whom express concern about serious side-effects.
"A lot of their concerns are founded on complete myths, for example, there is no evidence that the contraceptive pill is not safe, or that it causes birth defects, or that long-term pill use can affect fertility.
"I sincerely hope that today's research results will reassure concerned women."
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