Question for the LADIES: Skipping mother nature via contraceptive pills; Safe?

The other day I was at the Doctors office and after posing a few questions in regards to contraception pills, the Doctor advised me it is actually quite common and healthy for a woman to skip her "cycle" by continuing on to the next set of pills. He assured me this was safe for up to 4 months.

Now, correct me if I'm wrong but there is something very wrong with the idea of going against nature in such a way. The female body is too complex.
So I decided to look further into this, and would like any feed back/information you can offer as well.

The Era of Optional Periods

Most women don't jump for joy when this time comes around, as it can have various effects on different women, ranging from mild to extreme - and for those who have medical conditions it is understandable why certain measures may be taken. However in the case of pure convenience, is this truly safe? There seems to be some different opinions.

The convenience factor is a newer concept, and women are slowly coming around, says Leslie Miller, MD, associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Washington. Miller stopped her own periods for "convenience" during a grueling medical residency. Later, she began medical research on using oral contraceptives to help women skip periods. Patients have told her that they've wanted to skip periods for honeymoons, vacations, and sports.

She explains that women on birth control pills aren't having normal menstrual cycles because they block ovulation and that it is only "withdrawal bleeding" because hormone levels drop during the week that they take placebo pills. In result the uterine lining is broken.

In past decades, doctors have used birth control, sometimes in unorthodox ways, to help certain patients suppress periods. But the optional period entered a new era in 2003. That year, Barr Pharmaceuticals launched Seasonale, the first FDA-approved, extended-cycle birth control pill designed to give women only four periods a year. The company has also released Seasonique, a second-generation drug that also advertises four periods annually.

Web MD
A company called Wyeth Pharmaceuticals' Lybrel would be the first continuous birth control pill to stop periods for one year. These would contain Estrogen and Progestin.


Yet here we have Doctors that don't agree this should be done, Dr. Jerilynn C. Prior, MD, Professor of Endocrinology and Metabolism at the University of British Columbia says "To reduce it to 'periods don't matter' is totally unscientific,"

"I think that the normal menstrual cycle is absolutely crucial to women's health. My perspective is that the normal menstrual cycle is incredibly complex, it's created from the brain, and it serves a general health purpose, not just a reproductive purpose." She says that normal menstruation has beneficial effects on women's bone and cardiovascular health.

Even The Society for Menstrual Cycle Research which consists of doctors, nurses and social scientists agree that this should not be taken out of convenient measures

While the Society for Menstrual Cycle Research acknowledges that menstrual suppression may be useful for severe menstrual problems such as endometriosis, its web site states: "We do not believe that continuous oral contraception should be prescribed to all menstruating women out of a rejection of a normal, healthy menstrual cycle."

When looking for the side effects, it seems there is not enough data to conclude that menstrual suppression is safe. Researchers are still looking into the effects on bone health, risks for blood clots and strokes, and effects on fertility, among other issues.


This Article states that it depends on which type of pill you are using. If it has the same level of hormone all through the course, which is known as monophasic pills, as a opposed to biphasic or triphasic pills which have different levels of estrogen and progestin at different times throughout the pack

Dr Edith Weisberg, Director of Research at Sexual Health and Family Planning Australia, says the only reason women need to have periods is if they are planning on becoming pregnant

Now, I don't personally agree with the quote above. From all of the articles I've read it seems that you can trick your body maybe a few days/weeks ( I can't imagine getting this on your wedding night ) but there are just too many differing opinions on this matter and not enough facts and data to conclude the safety of having a period 1-4 times per year.


Any information you have is valuable Thank you!

reply to post by RooskiZombi


Thanks for all the info will read up on this. I have tried many times to skip my "monthly" it NEVER works I have tried quite a few times and have now given up and learned to accept mother nature. I mean I know it's really annoying at times but it's part of being a woman. I think if woman really don't want to get their period they should just go on the depo ( injection) and it stops them all together.

Well, speaking on behalf of my lady, she has never used female birth control because it is not natural. I'm glad she doesnt. That Time Of The Month isnt fun (for either of us!) But i help her through it and we've looked into natural healthy supplements to help. Magnesium, Iron and Maca Root all help. So does regular moderate exercise.
there's something sacred about the menstrual cycle. I think it's ignorant to bypass it just out of convenience ...

In a word: no.

Your body is designed to shed the endometrial layer each month. If you inhibit that chemically, you increase the risk of dysplastic cells reproducing. We are exposed to enough carcinogenic substances without adding to it ourselves.

Most doctors I know do not advocate it at all. An obgyn friend only recommends it (taking pill packs back to back while skipping the placebo pills) if someone is trying to avoid their period for a big occasion like a wedding or a special vacation.

i am only a bloke - but i have to point out that most women manage fine with no periods untill they are 12 ~ 14 and again from about 55 onwards

The type of oral contraceptives that are used in that manner do not result in a normal period to begin with. The body is hormonally tricked into believing that a pregnancy has occurred thus suppressing ovarian egg release and uterine tissue overgrowth.

The bleeding that happens while taking the placebo is breakthrough bleeding due to the sudden low hormone levels and is not a "normal period".

Suppressing menstruation in healthy females may also reduce the risk of certain uterine cancers.

Most bleeding while taking birth control is much lighter than normal periods. If your physician thinks that three periods a year is a safe option for you, it probably is. But, if the idea makes you uncomfortable, take the usual 21 day on/7 off route. No harm, no foul either way.

it is actually quite common and healthy for a woman to skip her "cycle" by continuing on to the next set of pills. He assured me this was safe for up to 4 months.