Researchers at Brown University in Rhode Island have found that oral contraceptives are linked to a lower risk of serious knee injuries — particularly in teenagers, according to a news release from the British Taylor & Francis Group, which published the findings this week in the journal The Physician and Sportsmedicine. “Young athletes use oral contraceptives for a variety of reasons,” lead researcher Dr. Steven DeFroda said in a statement, citing menstrual cycle regulation and stopping pregnancy. “With careful assessment of the risks, injury risk reduction could be another way in which female athletes may benefit from their use.” The authors’ observational study analyzed more than 165,000 women and girls who ranged in age from 15 to 49 and were found in a United States database showing insurance and prescription information over the course of ten years, researchers said. Their analysis revealed that teenagers on birth control were 63 percent less likely to need reconstructive surgery following an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear than those not taking oral contraceptives, according to the study. Why? Apparently lower, stable hormones keep ligaments firmer. The Telegraph
