Should you take a seven day break from the pill - biggest myths about Hormonal Birth Control
Female hormonal birth control - The Pill
In light of revelations that women have been given incorrect medical advise about the 7 day break on the pill, should they start thinking about what else they haven’t been told?
If a woman wanted to avoid this bleed then she could take two packs back to back skipping the 7 day break. If they wished to do this for more than 2 months, they were advised to seek approval from their GP.
However, new guidelines from the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare, (FSRH), announced that there may actually be no health benefit from taking the 7 day hormone-free interval
This means women can safely take fewer (or no) hormone-free intervals to avoid monthly bleeds, cramps and other symptoms.
If a hormone-free interval is taken, shortening it to four days could potentially reduce the risk of pregnancy if pills, patches or rings are missed.
In fact, according to reports, the only reason the 7 day break came about was due to the hope that the Pope would accept the Pill and make it acceptable for catholics to use.
So should women now be angry? Angry for bleeding needlessly, thinking of all the money they spent on sanitary products, painkillers, ruined underwear and bedclothes, all the sex that didn’t happen because not everyone is into riding the crimson tide.?
Instead we should perhaps consider what else we may not know about Hormonal Birth Control to prevent any further misconceptions.
So what is a period?
A period is the end result of the healthy production and interaction of hormones, occurring approx 14 days after ovulation. Some consider it to be a vital sign as the quality of both ovulation and period tell us so much about a woman’s health. Period problems are often an early indicator of an underlying health problem which should give the opportunity for early intervention.
Common Misconceptions about the Pill
You still have a period when taking the Pill
A woman will still bleed but it is a medically induced bleed brought on by the temporary drop in synthetic hormones. To have a real period a woman must first ovulate to produce progesterone, the fall in this natural progesterone kick starts a real period, but as the Pill shuts down the HPO axis, (hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis), ovulation does not occur and a woman is deprived of beneficial, essential natural hormones.
The Pill will bring your period back
No it won’t. It will induce a medicated withdrawal bleed which many women mistakenly believe is a real period. As it prevents ovulation a true period can not occur/happen.
The Pill will regulate an irregular cycle
I’m afraid not, it stops the menstrual cycle resulting in no period. Taking the Pill for 21 days followed by the 7 day break, results in the medicated withdrawal bleed starting around day 28. An irregular period seems a much better option than no period at all!
The Pill will stop period pain
No it stops you having a period, no period = no pain. The light, medically induced bleed is usually pain free.
The Pill is a treatment for endometriosis
No, the Pill is not a treatment for endometriosis, it stops the menstrual cycle which may reduce the symptoms for some women but the endo will still be there, and in many cases will progress.
The Pill is a cure for acne
Nope. The steroid hormones used in the Pill suppress sebum; worryingly they reduce it to pre-pubescent levels. When the Pill is stopped, sebum is over produced before it normalises resulting in approx 6 months of acne that is worse than before the Pill.
The Pill is not medicine, it has no therapeutic effect. What women deserve is support and education in understanding their menstrual cycle, not contraception.