"The pill" and rheumatoid arthritis: benefits for the future?

The paper firstly reviews the recent epidemiological literature on the apparently protective effect of oral contraceptive use on the onset of rheumatoid arthritis. This epidemiological evidence is then placed in the wider context of both old and recent clinical observations on the influence of pregnancy, the menstrual cycle and exogeneous sex hormones on the course of rheumatoid arthritis. Finally, possible hints for underlying biological mechanisms are discussed.