To kind of piggyback on that last post, if you've ever thought of taking St John's Wort to improve your moods "naturally" - DON'T do so if you are on the pill. It doesn't work, in fact can make you more depressed/scattered, plus it can make the pill not work :eek:.

I thought that a main reason for cervical cancer was the HPV virus. Well, I actually know b/c I have been going thru preventive measures for cervical cancer and the doctors keep telling me that. They never told me this...I will inquire next time I go..

Still happens to me :rolleyes: :(

I'm no Dr. but I am a Chemist and to all my sisters out there no Dr. can guarantee that you will be completely safe when you take any drug substance. Keep in mind that when you use any type of birth control you are essentially changing the natural cycle of how your body functions. That in itself is dangerous. All of our bodily functions are chemical reactions and when you tamper with them you might get more than you bargained for. Also just for your information these pills are synthetically manufactured which means that they are not natural (i.e. CLONING)!!

Just a word of caution BE VERY CAREFUL WITH THESE NEW TYPES OF BIRTH CONTROL METHODS. I understand that having your menstrual cycle is a pain in the behind and that you don't want to have an unwanted pregnancy, but just be mindful of the consequences (the ones that they tell you about and the ones they don't know about).

Correction: It lowers uterine and ovarian cancer risk. Cancer (regardless of the type) was my main concern when I asked my Dr. Now I'll have to go back and ask him about the cervical cancer risk...:( Mister Hyster's looking better and better...:(

As much as I hate my cycle I wouldn't mess with this new pill they have on the market. I use to get very sick with my cycle but I learned to change my diet and it has improved considerably. Instead of 7 days I'm down to a 3 day cycle. I don't have the cramping anymore either and they are a lot lighter.

I don't know if anyone mentioned this or has heard of this- people taking bc pills but skipping the sugar pills that allow you to have a cycle? This nurse said she had been doing it for years and that she does not have a cycle. This just doesn't sound healthy to me.

Yes, I know many women who use the pill that way, and it works well for them. I tried, but I get spotting.

Suppressing bleeding for a year or two in a row is totally consistent with your body's expectations. You're supposed to be pregnant or nursing heavily, and therefore not cycling, MOST of the time. Women having several hundred periods in their lifetimes is largely a twentieth-century phenomenon.

You should always, always, ALWAYS talk to your doctor re: birth control methods. What works for me may not work for you or your friend, etc. Yes, you can skip the sugar pills, but you must be taking the estrogen/progesterone pills for that to work (right?). Always talk to your doctor, and weigh the risks and benefits to yourself and your lifestyle. And don't knock the next woman for making a decision for herself that you wouldn't make for yourself. So long as she made an informed decision. :)

I always thought of my period as a way to 'cleanse' my body of the lining of the uterus. What happens with the lining if it is not shed?

Well, for one, it can build and result in what I have known docs to call a cyst. This (build-up) sometimes happens when you have endometriosis and the lining grows in other places but does not shed out with the rest.

ETA: I was referring to the case when you are not on BCs and some of the lining does not shed normally.

SC

The way that it was explained to me is that while you're on any method of contraception, your body prevents ovulation from occuring and a lining from forming. The lining only forms when you stop taking the pill. This is why if you skip the placebo pills and go to the next month's cycle you don't get your period.

Thanks for the explanations, SummerChild and KLPDaisy!

I'm not on birth control so I don't have that great of a grasp on how it works.

The body prepares for this supression of bleeding during pregnancy. This is part of that cycle. Supressing bleeding without having gone through pregnancy is risky.

More Info..
 

Period Management


More info.. :)

thanks, Washingtonpost.com

I know quite a few women that do this on occassion for special events, such as their wedding, honeymoon, vacation, etc. I have done it for this purpose myself, even though I do not regularly take BC pills. I wouldn't reccomend doing this like every other month (if you normally do not take BC pills), but once in a while is perfectly fine.