No More Periods!
Continuous Birth Control
Therapy
by Tamar
Love
It's every woman's worst
nightmare: getting your period on your honeymoon. Fortunately, most
of us know a little secret—if you're on the
Pill, you can avoid having your period that month. Instead of
taking the week's worth of placebo pills at the end of your pack,
start right in on the next pack. You'll skip your period altogether
and have a slightly heavier period the next month, with no harm
done.
So what would
happen if you skipped your period twice in a row? For the rest of
the year? What if you never had another period again, until you
wanted to get pregnant? Intoxicating thought, isn't it?
How does
it work?
Birth control
pills were originally designed to mimic a woman's normal cycle: 21
days of hormone pills followed by seven days of placebo pills.
During the first 21 days, the hormones block ovulation and prevent
pregnancy. During the next seven days, when the level of hormones
drops off, the ensuing withdrawal bleeding mimics a woman's normal
menstrual period. This system was designed to keep a woman feeling
"normal" or "natural," so that her body wouldn't skip a beat if she
decided to go off the pill and have a "regular" period
again.
Most women are
okay with this system. However, some women may have compelling
reasons to dislike having that regular period. They may experience
excruciating cramps, PMS or excessive bleeding. Some women don't
like taking the placebo pills. Others have problems remembering to
start their next pack, which can lead to pregnancy. Some women hate
the bloating that accompanies menstruation. Others wish they could
control their bodies a little more. Many, many women just hate
menstruation. Period.
Good news:
there's an excellent chance you can put an end to all this menstrual
nonsense. It's called continuous birth control therapy, and it may
be the answer for you.
Why you
want to try continuous birth control therapy
Most doctors are
comfortable advising certain women to skip up to four monthly
periods at a time. Often, women can go even longer—some up to two
years—without having a period. Some doctors even advocate going
without your period altogether—until you want to get pregnant. It
all depends on who you are, what your body is like and what kind of
pills you take. Unfortunately, you will have to go to the doctor to
find out if continuous birth control therapy is right for you.
In addition to
the reasons listed above, continuous birth control therapy can help
with the following conditions:
Why you
might not like continuous birth control therapy
If your doctor
approves your decision to try continuous birth control therapy, you
may experience the following side effects:
Remember...
Some serious health
risks are associated with taking the Pill. While there's no
evidence that continuous therapy will increase your chances of
experiencing any of these negative side effects, there haven't been
any long-term studies to back up the theory. We're sorry we can't be
more decisive, but those are the facts.
Don't skip more
than one period without consulting your doctor. You need to make
sure that continuous therapy is right for you. The negative
menstrual side effects that have made you consider continuous
therapy may actually be indicators of a more serious condition. For
example, if you are suffering from migraines, your doctor needs to
make sure something more serious isn't the culprit, such as a brain
tumor.
One last
word—your doctor's decision is law. If she says no to continuous
birth control, then you don't get to try it. Don't second guess her:
she went to medical school for a reason.
Read
More
Seven Myths About the
Pill
You
and the Pill
Women's
Health at About.com: Oral Contraceptives
Other
Benefits from Taking Oral Contraceptives
Minimizing
Oral Contraceptive Risks
What do you think about using an continuous birth
control therapy? Share your thoughts
on the sexuality message boards or chat about it with
others!
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newsletter.
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