This week the Institute of Medicine recommended that insurance plans cover, without co-pay, all FDA-approved birth control. This is great news for the fight against ovarian cancer—oral contraceptives are one of the two known ways to prevent ovarian cancer. Taking oral contraceptives for five years reduces the risk of developing ovarian cancer by 50 percent. Some studies show that the preventive effect is even greater for women who have a genetic mutation that increases their risk of developing the disease.

Prevention is key when it comes to ovarian cancer because there is no reliable early detection or screening test. Ovarian cancer is usually diagnosed in later stages, when survival rates are low. Fewer than half of women live five years after their diagnosis. Oral contraceptives and prophylactic surgery (removal of the ovarian and fallopian tubes before cancer develops) are the only proven methods to reduce the risk of ovarian cancer. Women who believe they are at high risk of developing ovarian cancer should talk to their doctor about prevention and monitoring strategies.

The Ovarian Cancer National Alliance hopes that reducing barriers to accessing oral contraceptives will help prevent ovarian cancer, allowing women to live longer, healthier lives.