Is it safe to use birth control pills to skip periods?

THere are many reasons you may want to skip a period.

Medical issues can lead to dangerous conditions or debilitating symptoms from periods. You may be looking forward to a vacation or a sporting event. You may simply want to avoid the hassle of monthly menstruation.

Whatever the reason, one way to do this is by using hormonal birth control to regulate when or if you have a period.

Is it safe to use birth control to skip periods?

Using hormonal birth control to skip periods can be a safe and effective option for many people.

Some people may prefer to have a period each month to make sure they haven’t accidentally gotten pregnant or for other reasons. But it’s a myth that it’s medically necessary to have a monthly period while using birth control.

However, if you’re not using hormonal birth control specifically to skip or reduce menstruation, it’s not normal to miss periods, and you should talk to your doctor if this is happening.

Do I need a special birth control prescription to skip periods?

It’s a good idea to talk to your doctor if you’re thinking about using birth control to skip periods. You may need to be prescribed a higher-dose pill, or you can get a new prescription altogether to skip placebo pills so that you don’t run out of your prescription.

How skipping periods works with birth control

In a typical menstrual cycle, the inner lining of the uterus builds up to prepare for pregnancy. If pregnancy doesn’t occur after ovulation (the release of the egg from the ovary), the inner lining is shed, and this is a period.

Hormonal birth control affects the hormone pathway between the brain and the ovaries to prevent ovulation. So, when you take birth control pills continuously, you don’t ovulate. This also means the uterine lining remains thin and there is no tissue to shed.

Benefits of skipping periods

Some people may want to avoid periods simply as a personal preference or for convenience before a special event.

But continuous use of hormonal birth control can also help with certain medical issues:

• Heavy bleeding that can cause iron deficiency and anemia
• Endometriosis
• Adenomyosis
• Premenstrual symptoms like migraines and depression.
• Polyendocrine metabolic ovary syndrome (formerly PCOS)

Skipping periods can also be helpful for people with mental health conditions or developmental delays.

How long can you skip periods using birth control?

There’s no limit to how long you can intentionally skip periods by using hormonal birth control.

Bleeding when on continuous birth control

You may still have some spotting – light bleeding – especially when you first start taking birth control continuously. If you have spotting while in the middle of a pill pack, you can stop the pack, allow for a bleed/period, then restart the pill pack.

Some people may choose to have a scheduled period every few months in an effort to avoid unpredictable spotting. This is referred to as “extended cycle use.”

If you have any concerns about spotting, see your doctor.

Pregnancy and skipping periods

Pregnancy may be harder to notice
If someone skips periods, pregnancy may be harder to notice, because monthly bleeding isn’t there as a cue. You may have other symptoms of pregnancy, such as nausea, vomiting or breast tenderness.

If you suspect pregnancy, stop using birth control and see a doctor.

Future fertility
Using birth control continuously does not make it harder to get pregnant in the future.

As soon as you stop taking birth control, whether you take it continuously or with breaks, you may notice some irregular bleeding until your normal cycle resumes, but you may get pregnant right away.

Other birth control methods that can be used to skip periods

• The vaginal ring can be replaced each month without the typical weeklong break.
• The patch can also be used continuously, but it may be more likely to cause spotting.
• A hormonal IUD will reduce bleeding over time and stop periods for most people.
• A hormonal injection can reduce or stop periods for many users.
• The Nexplanon implant may stop periods for some people, but others can have unpredictable bleeding, so this method isn’t usually the first choice for period suppression.