Penn State researchers have found that women who use continuous oral contraceptives experience significantly less pain and bleeding, according to a press release at Science Daily. While the study was small, with only 62 women participating, the researchers now believe that there is good physical reason for using the continuous birth control pill.

They believe that the continuous pill more effectively treats conditions that respond to ovarian suppression when compared to the 28-day pill regime. These conditions include acne, hirsutism, premenstrual syndrome, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), and endometriosis.

The main side effect the women who used the continuous oral contraceptives experienced was breakthrough bleeding or spotting; however, it should be noted that the amount of bleeding was far less that the women experienced prior to using the continuous pills.