Birth Control Makes You Smarter: Scientists

Birth control pills make certain areas of a woman’s brain grow, boosting memory, social skills, and something called the “conversation hub,” according to a new study. Based on high-resolution images of the brains of 14 men and 28 women, researchers determined that birth control caused about a 3% boost in gray matter, the Daily Mail reports.

The effects were the same no matter which formulation of the drug was used. Areas of the brain traditionally dominated by men—like those associated with spatial skills—were untouched by the effect. The brain’s overall size did not grow, however, and it’s unknown whether the enlarged parts shrink back to size once a woman stops taking the pill. (More birth control stories.)