We will enroll patients with inactive, stable, or moderate disease requiring less than 0.5 mg prednisone per kg of bodyweight per day over a 2-year period and randomize them to receive birth control pills or placebo pills for 12 months. During that time, the patient must use condoms or a diaphragm as birth control. We will recruit patients from clinics and private practices that include over 4,000 women with SLE, most belonging to minority groups.