Others want to usethe pillto avoid having a period for convenience reasons.
Why Skip a Period?
Many people prefer toextend menstrual cyclesfor medical or practical reasons.
Jamie Grill / Getty Images
The bleeding you experience during the week you take the placebo pills is called awithdrawal bleed.
A withdrawal bleed simply occurs because the body is responding to the lack of hormones in these inactive pills.
When the hormone-containing pills are resumed, the bleeding stops.
This continuous birth control allows you to have only four periods per year.
Here are some things to keep in mind.
Speak to them about what makes the most sense for you.
If you want to skip back to back periods, you’ll need more.
Ask your healthcare provider to write a prescription that allows the pharmacy to dispense several packs at a time.
If you are using insurance, be sure to check that your plan allows for this.
Again, be sure your insurance approves of this.
You must start the next pack during the fourth week of your previous pack.
It’s easy to forget this if you are used to taking birth control pills in the traditional way.
Is It Safe to Skip Periods?
It’s fine to skip the placebo pills because they don’t have medication in them.
If you have any concerns about using the pill to skip a period, talk to a healthcare provider.
Not getting regular periods can also be a sign that you’re overexercising or not eating enough.
Using birth control to skip periods means you won’t get these messages from your body.
It should get better over time, but it can be frustrating and inconvenient.
Start a new pack of pills instead.
It is safe to skip this “period” if you want to.
If you skip your period long-term, you may find that the spotting eventually goes away.
Skipping a period with the pill won’t make your birth control less effective.
Just see to it you have enough pill packs and that you follow the steps above.
The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne.Oral contraceptives - skipping periods when taking the Pill.
Hillard PA.Menstrual suppression: current perspectives.Int J Womens Health.
2014;2014(7):CD004695.
Published 2014 Jul 29. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD004695.pub3
Dominguez, L.Birth control pills.
National Institutes of Health.Menstrual cycle as a fifth vital sign.
2019;14(3):e0214071.
2017;40:3-22. doi:10.1016/j.bpobgyn.2016.09.011
Planned Parenthood.Will missing my birth control mess up my period?
2016;21(2):106-115. doi:10.3109/13625187.2015.1107894
