Can i stop having periods

For others, that monthly flow brings on intense side effects like cramping, mood swings, and heavy bleeding that can make doing daily activities feel impossible.

There are many people— both medical professionals and professional menstruators if only we could get paid for that, right? Another angle to this point of view is based on the knowledge that, while estrogen causes your uterine lining to thicken, progesterone keeps it thin. Actually, there are concerns about the use of hormonal birth control, period. The Society for Menstrual Cycle Research said :. Long-term studies that address potential risks beyond the uterus, such as breast, bone, and cardiovascular health are still needed.

Furthermore, there is an urgent need for studies that address impacts on adolescent development, since young women and girls are a target audience for cycle-stopping contraceptives. It is also important to address the social, psychological, and cultural implications of menstrual suppression, as well as the biomedical effects. Granted, this statement came out in but, to date, there has not been adequate research to show that using hormonal birth control to stop your period is safe in the long run.

According to the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals, the following are possible benefits of using hormonal birth control to stop your period. Those all sound ideal, right? A life free from wondering when your period will treat you to a surprise visit , stained underwear, and PMS. It sounds great — in theory. The reproductive cycle is complex, especially when you take hormones into account.

There are more obvious risks and some that are not-so-obvious. Obviously, there are a lot of side effects, both positive and negative, associated with stopping your period. In a society where women are shamed for having a period, the last thing we want to do is validate that not having one is better.

This obsession with hormonal birth control and being period-free sends a message that having a period is not natural or acceptable. There has not been sufficient research done on the effect that stopping your period has on the way women feel about their bodies or the culture of menstruation as a whole. Health concerns, distrust of pharmaceuticals, and wanting to have a natural cycle.

Ultimately, deciding to stop your period is a choice that you can make with your doctor. If you have decided that you want to stop your period, there are a few different ways your doctor will likely suggest you can go about it.

If you want to stop your period using the pill, you can skip the sugar pills and take the hormonal pills continuously. Many women who have the Mirena IUD, which can protect you from pregnancy for up to 5 years, find that their periods become shorter and less frequent.

Similar to the Pill, the vaginal ring or NuvaRing is meant to be worn inside your vagina for 3 weeks and then taken out for the 4th week, so you can have a period. To use this to skip your period, you just replace the old ring with a new one with no break in between. If you do decide to stop your period, have a discussion with your doctor about using birth control with that intent. Messing with your menstrual cycle using hormones can be risky. Why choose to bleed when there is no need?

Everyone is different and heavy bleeding but it does usually get into a regular cycle within in 2 years. If you are concerned go and see your doctor. All the best. In my thirties I certainly used birth control to control when I had my period but I always felt I needed to let it come because it felt cleansing and renewing.

Then I got a blood clot in my leg so I had to stop using the pill. My periods got very heavy after that and often caused embarrassing situations and I was very frustrated. My period actually stopped for a year without my control. I have prolactinoma still being treated for it , so there was a benign tumor on my pituitary gland of cells that make prolactin, the hormone that causes you to lactate. It actually started taking energy from my other hormone production so I had really low estrogen and that stopped my periods.

I want to stop my period permanently because of pain.. Is it affects my health. Well I have endromitriosis, fibroids and cysts. My life is horrible. There is not a day, on and off my period, that I dont suffer from back pain. I go to sleep with pain and wake up with pain. The only thing that gave me relief was not having my period. The medicine worked for a while but then it stopped working.

The sharp stabing pain gets worse, the nausea, the lightheadiness, the stomach issues, mood swings, I hate everything and everyone, ect. My life is just not been the same after I developed this medical issue. There has to be more medical studies done to help women. There is just no care that some women suffer like this. During those migraines I cannot eat, drink or function normally at all, only sleep and wake up to vomit stomach acid. This article makes it sound like women who want to stop their periods are high-maintenance dummies who are caught in the hooks of Big Pharma and the patriarchal society that says that periods are embarrassing.

This article was not meant to help women, but to end the conversation. They rarely have periods. I always feel so uncomfortable. I just recently found out I have cysts on both ovaries. For more information about menopause, call the OWH Helpline at or check out the following resources from other organizations:.

Department of Health and Human Services. ET closed on federal holidays. Breadcrumb Home Menopause Menopause basics. Menopause basics. Menopause basics Menopause is when your period stops permanently. What is menopause? What is perimenopause, or the transition to menopause?

When does the transition to menopause usually start? How will I know if I am starting the transition to menopause? Sometimes it can be hard for you and your doctor to tell whether you are in perimenopause, the transition to menopause: Symptoms: Tell your doctor or nurse about any menopause symptoms, such as hot flashes or trouble sleeping.

Irregular periods: Track your periods. Irregular periods may be your first sign of menopause. Hormone levels: Your doctor may test the amount of hormones in your blood if your periods stopped at an early age before This is because, for most women, hormone levels go up and down in an unpredictable way during the transition to menopause. So it is difficult to tell for sure whether you have gone through menopause or are getting close to it based on this blood test.

How will menopause affect me? For example: Your menstrual periods may not come as regularly as before. They also might last longer or be shorter. You might skip some months. Periods might stop for a few months and then start up again. Your periods might be heavier or lighter than before. You might have hot flashes and problems sleeping.

You might experience mood swings or be irritable. You might experience vaginal dryness. Sex may be uncomfortable or painful. You may have less interest in sex. It may take longer for you to get aroused. How long does the transition to menopause last? Should I continue using birth control during the transition to menopause?

When does menopause usually happen? Pregnancy, especially more than one pregnancy, may delay menopause. What happens after menopause? You may experience any of the following after menopause: Low hormone levels. With menopause, your ovaries make very little of the hormones estrogen and progesterone. Because of changing hormone levels, you may develop certain health risks , including osteoporosis, heart disease, and stroke.

Menopause symptoms instead of period problems. She is not alone. Catriona Clarke, 25, from Cambridge, was thrilled when she realised she could stop having periods thanks to her contraceptive pills. And, given how expensive period products can be, an expensive mess. Proposals to end the tampon tax, distribution of free sanitary products, better education for boys as well as girls, and the introduction of menstrual leave are all positive moves towards ensuring women are not held back by their periods.

The other is a tale of pain, bloating, bad skin and mood swings. Many women feel trapped in a cycle that can be unpredictable, inconvenient and unpleasant. Menstruation is the process by which the body sheds the lining of the uterus and unfertilised egg, triggered by fluctuating levels of the hormones oestrogen and progesterone. Menstruation can, however, exacerbate incapacitating physical or mental health problems including endometriosis and depression; it can also be distressing or problematic for people with gender dysphoria.

Dr Jane Thomas, a consultant gynaecologist at Homerton university hospital in London, says that having so many periods is a modern phenomenon: historically, women would spend much of their time pregnant or breastfeeding which can delay the return of periods.

So, if women do not want a period, is there a medical reason that they should? Many may be surprised to learn that the short answer is: no. Judith Stephenson , the Margaret Pyke professor of sexual and reproductive health at University College London, says the same.

The option not to have periods is rooted in hormonal contraceptives, which use synthetic versions of oestrogen and progesterone to interfere with the menstrual cycle.

This prevents pregnancy meaning the decision to stop bleeding is not compatible with trying for a baby , sometimes with other effects — including lightening bleeding or stopping it altogether. The benefits can be myriad, from saving money to mitigating health problems, including polycystic ovary syndrome PCOS , in which there is a risk of problematic cells building up in the lining of the womb.

While regular natural periods prevent this buildup, and thus can be beneficial for the condition, so too are hormonal contraceptives even if they stop periods , because they keep the lining of the womb thin.