Women spend more than $37 million on birth control each year, making it one of the most prescribed medications on the market. 10,540,000 women are currently taking some type of oral contraception. Although only a few side effects are harmful, there are rare cases of death from birth control. In the United States, 23 women died from the common birth control pill, Yaz or Yasmin, last year alone. So how safe are women who take this product? There are many types of birth control. The most common type of contraception is the combined pill. The combination stops ovulation due to the hormones it produces, estrogen and progesterone. Although its main purpose is to prevent pregnancy, it is also known to reduce the number of periods from one per month to one every three months. Although this type of birth control is relatively safe, anyone over 35 who smokes regularly should avoid using it because the amount of estrogen could cause blood clots. “Taking oral contraceptives (OCs) can reduce your risk of endometrial and ovarian cancer by more than 70% after 12 years; even just one to five years can reduce your risk by 40 percent. They work by reducing the number of times you ovulate in your lifetime: ovulation can trigger cellular changes in the ovaries that can lead to cancer” (Janis Graham) Extended cycle pills are like combination pills but last longer. These pills are taken every day of the year but are very effective and significantly reduce the number of periods. With the extended cycle, you don't have to take the pill at exactly the same time every day. During the first three to six months, random bleeding may occur. Extended cycle pills increase your chances of falling middle of paper......ion, August 1, 2013. Web. March 28, 2014.3. Burnett-Watson, Katherine. “Is the pill wreaking havoc on your mental health? » Is the pill wreaking havoc on your mental health? Aphrodite Women's Health, October 28, 2005. Web. March 30, 2014.4. “Contraceptive Use in the United States.” Contraceptive use in the United States. Np, August 2013. Web. March 30, 2014.5. “Emergency contraception”. - 12 types of birth control. Np, and Web. March 30, 2014.6. Jaccard, James and Patricia J. Dittus. “Adolescents’ Perceptions of Maternal Approval of Birth Control and Risky Sexual Behavior.” American Journal of Public Health 90.9 (2000): 1426-430. Print.7. Magazine, “Redbook” WebMD article “Other Reasons to Take the Pill.” WebMD. WebMD, December 30 -0001. Internet. March 30, 2014.8. “Progestin-only hormonal methods (mini-pills, implants and injections).” WebMD. WebMD, May 3, 2012. Web. March 28. 2014.