What are the pros and cons of combination pills?

Pros

• Easily reversed method of birth control if you hope to get pregnant
• Relief from premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
• Less severe menstrual cramps (dysmenorrhea)
• Improvement in acne
• Shorter, lighter and more predictable periods, or fewer or no periods
• Reduction in heavy bleeding (menorrhagia) and related anemia
• Reduced symptoms of endometriosis
• Lowered risk of ovarian, endometrial and colorectal cancers
• Possible positive effect on bone mineral density
• Improvement in unwanted hair growth (hirsutism) caused by polycystic ovary syndrome

Cons

• Skipping pills or taking them late may reduce effectiveness
• No protection against sexually transmitted infections, including HIV
• Increased risk of high cholesterol, heart attack and stroke
• Increased risk of blood clots, especially for smokers and women older than 35 years of age, with a slightly greater risk of blood clots linked to pills that contain higher doses of estrogen
• Increased risk of cervical cancer and breast cancer for women who are currently taking combined birth control pills, but this risk appears to gradually decline to normal levels once you stop taking the pills
• Side effects such as irregular bleeding, bloating, breast tenderness, nausea, depression, weight gain and headache