Women today are no longer planning their life around their monthly menstrual cycle. Instead, they are planning their menstrual cycle around their lives, thanks to continuous birth control.
More and more women are balancing an active lifestyle, a career and a busy family life. With all the day-to-day demands of today’s woman, many women do not want to be held back by the inconvenience of a monthly cycle. And,
with so many birth control products on the market, there are multiple options available for women who choose not be hindered by the monthly cramps, bloating and mood swings. Particularly, women may opt to proceed with continuous birth control. With normal birth control pills, the placebo pills are taken in order to allow for a monthly period. Continuous birth control refers to a hormonal contraception that is taken daily without utilizing the normal placebo pills at the end of a package of birth control pills. By skipping these placebo pills and starting a new package of birth control pills, women do not undergo the monthly period.
Major advancements in modern-day birth control not only makes planning menstrual cycles possible, but makes them easier with less cramping and other symptoms. More and more women are turning to continuous birth control because of the ability to take control of life and change the cycle from monthly to three times a year or even less frequent.
The key to making the change from old- school techniques to the safe and proven modern techniques is simply a matter of knowing the facts and being educated about the products and techniques. Getting educated starts with visits and conversations with your doctor.
By current estimates, 75% of all female OB/GYN doctors have no periods—and that’s by choice—because there is no medical necessity for having a period. It is safe to not have periods as long as you are using an appropriate low-dose hormonal birth control product, which helps keep the uterus wall thin and makes the body think it’s pregnant. If the uterine wall is not kept thin, you run the risk of developing some forms of cancer. Continuous birth control works by constantly keeping the lining of the uterus thin and therefore there is no blood to be sloughed off each month. The important fact to understand is that a monthly period is not necessary in order “to clean the blood out every month” while a woman is on continuous birth control.
Even teenagers who have heavy periods and are active in sports are ideal candidates for continuous birth control. Once again, this is a much more convenient alternative to tampons or other feminine hygiene products. Until a woman is ready to bear children, continuous birth control can be used.
Among the most popular birth control options are the daily pill, followed by vaginal rings, implantable devices, injectables and intrauterine products.
Even birth control pills have improved dramatically over the years. In the early days of the pill, those products had extremely high amounts of estrogen. These high estrogen amounts caused hormonal imbalances and such side effects as mood swings, bloating and possible blood clots. Today’s pill formulas have much lower levels of estrogen. One word of caution about the pill; If you have a history of migraine headaches with visual changes, hormonal contraception is not recommended due to a higher risk of blood clots.
For younger patients who haven’t had children, one viable option is a minor office procedure to implant a small rod called Implanon. The device is implanted into the patient’s arm and lasts for three years. The good news is that Implanon does not contain estrogen which is often linked to nausea and moodswings. Besides the implant, intrauterine devices have been found to be very effective in controlling periods. The progesterone containing IUD Mirena will significantly reduce the duration or quantity of a women’s cycle—thus attracting many women into seeking this five-year form of contraception.
So when it comes time to picking a form of contraception, remember to plan for your active life—not your menstrual cycle. Talk to your doctor today.