In an article entitled, "Lifting the Curse: Should Monthly Periods be Optional?" on MSNBC by Julia Sommerfield, it is finally revealed that having a monthly menstrual period, for those women who take birth control pills, is entirely optional. The critical piece of news is that it could have been optional since the early '60's, when the first birth control pill was made available on the market.
Sommerfield continues: "Doctors have known for years that women could eliminate their monthly periods with the pill. But they are just now letting the general public in on what some experts call one of medicine's best kept secrets.
"In a recent essay in the international medical journal The Lancet, Charlotte Ellertson, a reproductive health researcher at the Population Council, argues, "Health professionals and women ought to view menstruation as they would any other naturally occurring but frequently undesirable condition. This means providing those women who want it with safe and effective means to eliminate their menstrual cycles.
"Continuous use of oral contraceptives - tossing out the seven inactive pills typically packaged with 21 active pills and taking the active tablets for months on end - keeps hormone levels constant and eliminates monthly menstruation.
"While gynecologists sometimes let select patients in on this trick - such as those wanting to avoid their periods on their honeymoons - they have generally not given women the option to suppress menstruation for long periods of time. Some doctors don't feel comfortable prescribing a relatively untested therapy and worry it could increase the pill's risks.
"But some gynecologists, endocrinologists and contraceptive researchers are trying to spread the word about menstruation suppression.
"For many women there is a menstruation-associated health problem month after month and there is no reason they have to put up with it," said Dr. Sheldon Segal, an endocrinologist at the Population Council and co-author, with Dr. Elsimar Coutinho, of the recently published book "Is Menstruation Obsolete?"
HEALTH BENEFITS
"According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 50 percent to 75 percent of women suffer some physical or emotional discomfort during or right before their periods. Up to 85 percent suffer from PMS and over 50 percent experience painful cramping.
"No periods mean no PMS and no cramps - and less monthly discomfort. Women with endometriosis, which is caused by and made progressively worse by menstruation, may also benefit from skipping periods.
| Here's the follow-up discussion on this article: | View all related messages |
For a complete listing of article comments, questions, and other discussions related to Dr. Bob Orndoff's Health Psychology topic, please visit the Discussions page.