The skinny on using birth control to cancel your period

Most of us do this all the while, pop BC to get rid of the pesky red wave to suit our schedules. Do you have any idea how safe it is or what method to use? I asked my twitter friend @drelliotobgyn to weigh in on the subject. You can see a snippet of thearticle below and click through to Loop to read the rest. 

Women have been using birth control pills to change the schedule of their menstrual cycles or eliminate it completely for ages, but how safe is it to do so?

Dr. Mandi Elliot, Gynaecologist and OBGYN at Gynae Associates in Tangerine Place, Kingston weighs in on the subject.

“There is no medical reason for a woman to see her menses every month. The main purpose of the menstrual cycle is reproduction so if you’re on the pill there’s really no reason (other than psychological) to have a period,” she said.

However, not every birth control pill can be taken continuously to suppress menstruation.

It is important that the pill is monophasic, meaning each contains the same dose of hormones otherwise breakthrough bleeding may occur. Seek a doctor’s advice if unsure.

There is currently an oral contraceptive pill (OCP) that can be taken daily for 365 days thus eliminating menses for a year.

Not only is it safe but there are health benefits. The OCP prevents ovulation and fewer ovulatory cycles have been found to be protective against both breast and ovarian cancer.

Patients with endometriosis or pre-menstrual syndrome also benefit greatly from menstrual suppression.

However women for which the pill is contradicted like those over 35 who smoke or those with a personal or family history of blood clots or stroke for example should definitely avoid both regular and extended use of the oral contraceptive pill.

There is also the potential for an increased risk of cardiovascular disease due to excess iron but this is only theoretical and hasn’t been proven.

Also no studies have been done on the effects of long term suppression (more than a year) on fertility so my recommendation would be for no longer than a year at a time.”

Read the rest of this article here: http://www.loopjamaica.com/2014/11/13/latest-jamaica-news-is-it-safe-to-intentionally-eliminate-your-menstrual-cycle/