Recent research confirmed something we all suspected about the pill - that it plays absolute havoc with our moods.

While this is far from welcome news, another study has revealed an advantage of the pill which is particularly useful as winter approaches. Apparently, birth control methods that have an effective on hormones, such as the pill, can help to ward off the flu. A study published in the health journal PLOS Pathogens, suggests that taking the hormone progesterone, which is present in a number of contraceptive pills, can also help promote lung repair. The research conducted at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that progesterone can help strengthen the immune system, helping to ward off the common cold and influenza. It's early days for this research but it's an interesting theory and considering flu season is well and truly here, we'll take any good news. So, if you're on the progesterone only pill, i.e. the mini pill (e.g Cerazaette), this may be of interest but it's also good news for those on combined pills which contain progesterone and oestrogen (Yasmin, Microgynon) too. Study leader Sabra L. Klein, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Bloomberg School’s Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, gave her opinion on the research thus far:

"Despite the staggering number of women who take this kind of birth control, very few studies are out there that evaluate the impact of contraceptives on how the body responds to infections beyond sexually transmitted diseases. “Understanding the role that progesterone appears to play in repairing lung cells could really be important for women’s health. When women go on birth control, they don’t generally think about the health implications beyond stopping ovulation, and it’s important to consider them".