Contraception can be confusing.

Many young women chose to use contraception, with the Pill being the most popular form. That's why it's important for women to understand how the Pill affects us in positive and negative ways. While the known benefits include healing acne, aiding cramps - and the big one, preventing unwanted pregnancies - there are other surprising health benefits to taking the Pill, a new survey suggests. First spotted by Stylist.co.uk, scientists have discovered that being on the Pill could increase your vitamin D levels. In fact, it could boost this by up to 20 per cent. In a recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, researchers measured the vitamin D levels of nearly 1,700 African-American women aged between 23 and 34 over two years. The research was carried out specifically on African-American women as darker skinned women are more likely to be deficient in the vitamin. So focusing on this demographic specifically meant that the results were more accurate. But we Irish could also do with a lot more, considering one of the main sources of vitamin D is the sun! In fact, research carried out earlier this year revealed that 1 in 8 Irish people are not getting enough vitamin D. So while many people will drink fortified milk and cod liver oil to get more of the vitamin, being on the Pill can be one surprising way to increase your intake. While this is one of the many benefits of being on the Pill, we recently told you about some of the negative side effects, and so with all the mixed information it is so important to consult your doctor to see what's best for you.