Certain birth control pills may lower risks

August 14, 2009 Women who use birth control pills are five times more likely to have blood clots than those who don't. And, while that risk is still considered low, it's still a concern.

Two studies from the British Journal of Medicine looked at the effects of different oral contraceptives. They found that certain pills offered more protection than others.

Women who took pills that combined a low dose of estrogen with a type of progesterone called levonorgestrel were almost half as likely to get blood clots.

These finding are considered especially important for women with a personal or family history of blood clots.