Posted: July 8, 2016 Contributor: administrator
Thanks, But No Thanks – A Guide to Skipping Your Monthly Period
Contrary to popular belief, it is totally safe to go for months or even years without having a period. Taking birth control pills to reduce or eliminate your period is just as safe as taking them the usual way. According to the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals, women who skip their periods experience a heightened sense of well-being, fewer PMS symptoms, lighter and less painful periods, and reduced migraines, endometriosis and acne.
How Does It Work?
There are two main ways to use birth control pills to skip your period: taking only the active combination pills and taking extended-cycle or continuous regimen pills. If you are on a combination pill it is important to make sure that it is a monophasic pill. If you aren’t sure what type of pill you have, see this reference chart. When you get to the placebo pills, just skip them and start on a new pack’s active pills. This will result in a skipped period! Just make sure that you have an extra pack or two on-hand in case you run out before you refill your prescription. Continuous regimen pills, such as Yaz and Seasonique, are designed to help you skip your period for 12 weeks at a time.
How Long Can I Skip Periods?
It is safe to skip periods for as long as you want, depending on what you are comfortable with. The only real risk to using birth control to miss your periods is that there’s a small chance of breakthrough bleeding – aka spotting. Because of this, you might want to carry some pads or tampons with you just in case. Spotting is normal and could merely be a sign that your body is adjusting to continuous use of birth control. You may be able to control spotting by having a period every 3-4 months.
If you’re over 35/smoke/have uncontrolled high blood pressure, talk to your doctor before using birth control to skip or delay your period. These factors can increase your risk of blood clots, stroke or heart attack. You’ll want to be careful about any kind of birth control routine if you fall into one (or more) of these categories.