Ladies, you don’t have to have your period when Mother Nature decides it’s time. You can have your period when you want to or not have your period at all. Using contraceptive pills, you can take charge of your menstrual cycle!
Also called “continuous contraception,” you can suppress or alter your period by not taking the placebo or iron pills in your oral contraceptive pill pack and instead starting a new cycle pack. You can also take contraceptives such as Seasonale or Lybrel designed to reduce your periods to just 4 times a year.
A 2013 study by the University of Oregon in the US revealed that around 17% of female students at the university are practicing continuous contraception. This is higher than what was previously believed. Women’s magazines such as Madame Noire and Glamour came out with several articles over the summer discussing this trend.
Many of us have heard of using oral contraceptives to regulate our periods or clear up our face. But, few of us have heard of taking contraceptive pills to the ultimate level to decide when to bleed. Ladies, obgyns have used continuous contraception for decades to treat endometriosis, dysmenorrhea, and other menstruation-related disorders that benefit from an uninterrupted dose of hormones. (You can get more info at Kinsey Confidential and WebMD) How safe is doing this? The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and other health organizations say suppressing your period is safe – it’s simply another reproductive choice for women. However, little is known about the long-term effects of this lifestyle is and whether it would affect women of African or Asian descent differently. Also, while oral contraceptives have been proven over many decades to be safe, they should not be taken by heavy smokers and triphasic oral contraceptives can lead to irregular bleeding is taken uninterruptedly. (Take a look at what type of oral contraceptives you are using, if you’re not using one of the specialty pills like Seasonale or Lybrel that already limit the number of periods you have per year.)
Yet, we all have our big moments like a special party, a week-end at the beach, or our wedding night when it would literally mess up things to have our periods start flowing. And, it’s not easy getting blood out of clothing and sheets, is it…?!
Over one-third of women who opt for this lifestyle learned about how to do it from media – not doctors. SuzyKnew recommends you work with your healthcare provider to take charge of your menstrual cycle. In the US, your insurance should cover continuous contraception if your doctor writes a note. If your provider hasn’t heard of this, send them a link to SuzyKnew!
This looks like a good option for those of us who have irregular periods and want to plan important dates like wedding days/beach trips etc. Other than that why not let the body do what it naturally does?? I’m the tried and true type. Let me know how it works over a 20 to 100 year period! It seems unnatural and like pollution and chemicals that interrupt our eco-systems, so does unnecessary drugs in our bodies interrupt our natural bodily system. You know how these things work! First 50 years no problem, then science tells us “oopsies” that actually causes this sickness or that disease. Let it be tried and true!
I think it is great that women now have the option to choose when to have their cycle or even not to have one. I have opted into the option not to have a cycle: it has been years since I have had one, and I have not had any side affects. My OBGYN and I spoke and determined that minimizing or having no cycles would be best for me since I have endometriosis. I like having the option to choose if I want to have a cycle or not because when or if I have one it makes my endometriosis worst. I don’t think that it is unnatural for women to control their cycles. I believe it gives us more freedom to do what we want with our bodies. The medicine I take for my endometriosis doesn’t give me a cycle which is great, because it means I don’t ovulate and therefore no chance of getting pregnant. When and if I decide to have children all I simply do is consult my doctor and stop taking the medication. I like having the choice to determine to have a cycle or not….April I will let you know if there are any side affect 15 years from now since I have been taking it for years now and I have not any complaints about it. Having the option to choose when or if I have a cycle actually benefits met. I am not for sure April if you know anyone with endometriosis, but it is a blessing on our end to have the medication to reduce or eliminate cycles.
I agree with April. There is a reason why Mother Nature has designed women’s bodies to have monthly periods. Other than treatment of a bona fide medical condition, women should be very careful about altering the biochemistry to their bodies. Convenience is not a legitimate reason for women to completely stop their menstrual cycle.
Hi Ladies, Your SuzyKnew Ask an OBGYN here…….I love this article and the comments. It’s a wonderful thing that that we have choices for how we manage our fertility. Can you imagine living in a time or a place with no ability to control if, when or how we have sex, babies or periods? Yikes. There is no right answer here, only the answer that is right for you as an individual. There are pros and cons to every birth control method, including using continuous contraception. Some women like the ebb and flow of hormones and get a power kick of sexual drive when they ovulate. They (and their man) are not willing to that give up. Other women like the emotional and physical smooth sailing that they get using continuous hormonal contraception. They find that they are more productive at work and home when their hormones are not bringing them on a monthly roller coaster. Bottom line: Its a very individualized experience and choice, and one we should be thankful to have. Take care all. Keep the comments and questions coming!
Well of course TJ! If there are medical reasons that’s understandable. My point was related to women with no health issues or valid reason to reduce their cycles. When people have options (in any area of life) they tend to take advantage of them whether its medically necessary or not.
Ladies, I love the comments and the exchange! Keep your thoughts coming. It’s all good…