For the first time since women started taking oral contraceptives in 1960, reports came out last week suggesting that this form of birth control might be something other than a cause for health concern. What wasn’t a first, however, was the premature media coverage of the stirring reports.

While the results from the study — which was conducted by the Women’s Health Initiative and included data from over 162,000 women — are reason for potential reassurance, a celebration at this at this point would be irresponsible, as the group has not yet released its data.

But unfortunately, news outlets from the Los Angeles Times to New England Journal of Medicine have been prematurely ensuring the public that “millions of women can sleep better now.” With the health of the 16 million daily users of the pill hanging in the balance, there is no room for sensationalized media to preempt the need for complete and accurate information.

The results, which were announced at a conference, have not even been published in a peer-reviewed professional journal. Even experts agree that study conclusions will need to be published and scrutinized in more detail before the medical community can respond, not to mention the fact that the study must be confirmed through replication to be efficacious. The problem is that the media have already responded, having created an all too common phenomenon best called “science by press release.”

Although it would be easy to assume that the first study done with positive feedback about birth control is the final word on the subject, we should know, if not be treated and informed, better than that. Similar to drugs and products that are put on the market before enough testing on them has been done, so too are these stories that slip through the cracks of the so-called standards to which our media holds them.