Taking the pill 'may cut MS risk in women': "Taking the pill may lessen women's short-term risk of multiple sclerosis, a study suggests. Researchers have found incidence of the debilitating neurological disease may be 40% lower in those taking the oral contraceptive than those who are not."

A team from the Harvard School of Public Health also discovered women who were pregnant had a lower risk of MS during pregnancy but higher risk of developing it six months after giving birth. Animal studies have suggested that female sex hormones can delay development of the disease.