Many women in the past few years have made the decision to go without their period. This may sound too good to be true or even impossible but it’s actually a pretty simple process. Here’s the answers to a few questions on the topic.
Why do it?
To put it simply, periods are annoying.
How do you skip your period?
There are a few ways to go about this. A common way is continuous birth control. This just means you continue taking your pills or replacing your ring continuously without skipping weeks for a placebo pill or ring-free period. There are also specific kinds of continuous pills on the market just for women who want to skip their period. Lybrel is a birth control pill that completely gets rid of your period. It’s a low dose pill that is designed to be taken 365 days without a placebo or pill-free interval. Seasonale is a pill that is 12 weeks of estrogen/progestin pills and then seven days of placebo giving you four periods in a year. Lastly, Seasonique is a pill that’s 12 weeks of estrogen/progestin pills and then seven days of low estrogen pills that give you four light, short periods a year.
How do I start skipping?
The first thing you should always do before choosing to skip a period for a while is consult your gynecologist. He or she will know your medical history and if there are any health risks specific to you and your situation. If you get the green light, you can start a period-free specific pill or your continuous birth control. If you’re not on a specific kind of low or no period pill, then make sure you always have your next set of pill or ring with you ready. If you’re on the pill then when you get to the placebo pills, skip them and start taking the new pack’s hormone pills. If you’re on the ring then leave the ring in for your instructed four weeks, then put in a new one right after taking out the old one.
What are the health risks?
Skipping periods is perfectly healthy as long as your doctor tells you it’s okay. It also won’t affect how well your birth control is protecting you against pregnancy, however if you are sexually active, you should take regular pregnancy tests because it is harder to know if you are pregnant if you are already skipping your periods.
What should I expect if I skip?
No periods! There also could be some spotting in the beginning but other than that, if done correctly, most or all period symptoms should go away.
Disclaimer: Pink & Black does not encourage readers to voluntarily skip a period but we realize under certain circumstances and health conditions that it is an option.
(Feature Photo via Urbane Women)
