News: The Pill Tied to Fewer Knee Injuries In Teen Girls

Many women take the Pill for its noncontraceptive effects, like a more predictable menstrual cycle and a possible reduction in cancer risk.

A new study is adding to that list: a reduced risk of knee injuries. That's according to the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, which looked at over 23,000 girls between 15 and 19 years of age in the United States and showed an association (though not a cause-and-effect relationship) between birth control pills and a 22 percent reduction in ACL injuries. This was an especially useful finding given the fact that female athletes are twice as likely to suffer knee injuries when compared to males.
Experts are theorizing that estrogen may weaken the ACL ligament, and the birth control pill reduces the risk of injury by helping to maintain lower and more consistent estrogen levels in the body.