Pros, Cons, And Considerations For Using Birth Control To Skip Periods

The menstrual cycle is the natural way a woman’s body prepares itself to conceive a child. When you’re not menstruating, your uterus lining is thickening because that’s what a fertilized egg attaches to. If no egg attaches during the cycle, you begin bleeding to clean out the built-up lining to prepare for conception again.

Let’s face it, though. If near-term childbearing isn’t on your agenda, periods can be pretty annoying. They’re also expensive. The cost of tampons, pads, and — in the worst case — buying new underwear can accumulate quickly. Maybe it would be nice to skip a few of those periods or eliminate them all together.

The good news is that science makes skipping time with Aunt Flo possible without resorting to a hysterectomy. The whole menstrual cycle is driven by hormones. Birth control uses hormones to fool the body into thinking it’s pregnant, thereby halting ovulation. Likewise, it can trick the body into believing it’s not time to shed the uterine lining and start over.

Having fewer periods or none at all may sound to you like a dream come true. But you should know that, as with most health-related decisions, there are pros and cons to doing so. Here are a few things you should consider before telling Aunt Flo to stay away for a while longer.

The Advantages of Skipping Periods

Hormonal birth control employs synthetic estrogen and/or progesterone, which mimics the ebb and flow of your natural hormones. Any bleeding on the “placebo days” of your birth control is caused by hormone withdrawal.

Manipulating your hormones may have advantages other than preventing pregnancy. Sprintec birth control, for example, can lighten and regulate periods, decrease risk of ovarian cysts, and help clear up your acne. And if you want to skip withdrawal bleeding, just skip the placebo week and continue taking the hormone pills.

Combination birth control pills, the patch, and the ring can be used continuously to keep periods at bay. In fact, some birth control pills are designed specifically to allow withdrawal bleeding only every 12 or 13 weeks. And after using them for more than a year or so, hormonal intrauterine devices and progestin injections may stop periods completely.

There are some advantages to skipping periods above and beyond avoiding the normal inconveniences. Doing so can help mitigate anemia or endometriosis. It’s also helpful if you suffer from heavy, long, and painful periods, premenstrual syndrome, or headaches during the placebo week.

Think about other great reasons to not be bleeding. Maybe you’re preparing to run a marathon, don’t want to spoil your honeymoon, or want to focus on virtually anything else. You can use the money you save on products to take a period-free vacation!

The Disadvantages of Skipping Periods

If you’re using any of the aforementioned types of hormonal birth control, it’s probably safe for you to skip periods. But some doctors aren’t sold on the idea. And because skipping periods isn’t as easy as it sounds, you’ll want to have your healthcare provider on board to help.

One of the cons of skipping periods is the potential to mask other issues, such as ovarian failure, which can lead to infertility. Going period-free may cause a missed diagnosis of amenorrhea, which is the lack of menstruation due to other health issues. Those issues include thyroid, pituitary, and hypothalamus conditions, kidney failure, or inflammatory bowel disease.

While hormonal birth control used correctly has a high efficacy rate for pregnancy prevention, it’s not infallible. Adjusting yours to delay periods will hide the normal signs of conception, such as — you guessed it — a skipped period. You’ll need to be vigilant, watching for other signs of pregnancy like breast tenderness, fatigue, and morning sickness.

A common con of delaying periods involves breakthrough bleeding. That’s unexpected bleeding or spotting that may occur during your cycle. For most women, a normal period may be inconvenient, but at least it’s predictable.

The good news is that breakthrough bleeding is most common when you begin the process designed to make you skip periods. Once your body adjusts to the new regimen, it may stop. Or you may need to reintroduce a few hormone-free days in your schedule to end those surprises. These are all reasons why you should work closely with your healthcare provider.

Consider This

If you aren’t planning to get pregnant soon and your periods are an inconvenience you’d rather do without, consider skipping them. Be aware, though, that it may take some time to adjust your birth control routine and let your body catch up. Going period-free will require a bit of time and patience.

You should also consult with your gynecologist or other healthcare provider first. You will want to make sure you’re a good candidate for the fewer-or-no-periods approach. And, of course, you should talk to your provider about the best way to use birth control to manage your cycle.

Hormonal birth control can do more than prevent pregnancy. It can open the door to a more carefree existence and close the door on Aunt Flo. It works for many women. Find out if it can work for you.