Is it Safe to Skip Periods with Birth Control?

Quite a few contraception strategies maintain the promise of lighter durations, fewer durations, or none in any respect, specifically hormonal IUDs, the Depo-Provera shot, the only-rod implant, or steady use of the capsule or ring. To a few of us, the thought of efficient contraception and no durations seems like menstrual nirvana. However for others there’s a niggling fear: is it actually okay to skip durations?

The brief reply is sure, it’s undoubtedly okay! If you consider it, there are a number of occasions in a lady’s life when it’s completely regular to haven’t any interval, not simply as a woman or later in life, but in addition when pregnant or breastfeeding.

Why can we get durations within the first place? Durations are a coordinated effort between the mind, the ovaries, and the uterus (or womb). It takes teamwork from a number of hormones to tug it off, however the hormones estrogen and progesterone are the 2 primary gamers. Ladies have durations in the event that they’re wholesome, releasing eggs from the ovaries commonly, and never pregnant or breastfeeding. Durations are the physique’s method of preparing for the subsequent potential being pregnant. A uterus is ever optimistic that its proprietor is planning to get pregnant within the subsequent few weeks!

How do contraception strategies cease a interval? The hormone estrogen builds up the liner of the uterus (the endometrium) that’s shed each month throughout a interval. The hormone progesterone retains the liner of the uterus skinny. The strategies probably to make your durations lighten or disappear include progesterone and maintain the liner of the uterus skinny. Holding the liner of the uterus skinny is likely one of the methods these contraception strategies shield towards being pregnant; it’s additionally why ladies utilizing these strategies have lighter durations or no durations.

There’s a fable on the market that not having a interval is dangerous as a result of ladies’s uteruses have to be cleaned out. However a uterus is just not like a mouth—it may possibly maintain itself underneath most circumstances, and it undoubtedly doesn’t like minty disinfectants.

In case you’re utilizing a way that stops your durations, how are you going to know for positive that you simply’re not pregnant? For those who’re utilizing an IUD or implant, the probabilities of being pregnant are extraordinarily low (about 1 in 1,000). There are easy methods your well being care supplier can present you to ensure the tactic is working correctly, so verify together with her in case you’re fearful. Peace of thoughts is necessary, in order you get used to a brand new contraception technique, you possibly can all the time take a being pregnant check or chat together with your supplier.

So to recap, utilizing a way that lightens or stops your interval is okay as a result of:

There’s nothing within the uterus to wash out.
Having a skinny lining of the uterus is wholesome and occurs naturally at a number of occasions throughout a lady’s life.
Many of those strategies are extraordinarily dependable, so that you in all probability don’t want to fret about being pregnant should you’re utilizing them appropriately… However should you’re involved, you’ll be able to all the time take a being pregnant check.

Ladies who use the Mirena IUD or the shot are probably to expertise lighter and fewer frequent durations. Some ladies who use the implant or the Skyla IUD may additionally have lighter durations or no interval. It’s additionally okay to make use of the capsule or the ring constantly. With any of those strategies chances are you’ll sometimes get some breakthrough recognizing. In case your durations are heavy, painful, or notably annoying, the commerce off could be value it!