Many Women Opt Out of Monthly Periods

Numerous U.S. women are opting to take hormonal contraceptive products that stop the menstrual cycle entirely or for several months at a time.

Some women use birth-control products that result in four periods a year; others take birth-control pills that have been around for years, but without the week of placebos or no pills. An implantable device was approved during the summer for use in the United States, and injections, patches and vaginal rings are other methods of suppressing menses, according to Dr. Susan Ernst, chief of gynecology services for the University Health Service at the University of Michigan.

When birth-control pills hit the market in the 1960s, women generally took three weeks of active contraceptive pills followed by one week of placebos or no pills — the thinking was that women would find this more acceptable, according to Ernst.

Some gynecologists believe that the week without contraception — during which a woman experiences a withdrawal bleed that mimics the normal menstrual cycle — isn’t necessary.

However, Ernst also notes that there are risks related to hormonal contraception, including blood clots, hypertension, stroke and heart attack — especially among women who smoke.

A woman has to take those risks into account when thinking about using hormonal contraception for menstrual suppression, Ernst says.