 | Do you need periods, or are they “God’s design flaw” as a senior health professional said in a recent Guardian article? It depends on what you mean by a period. If you mean a pill withdrawal bleed, official FSRH guidance states there are "no health benefits." |
But what about true periods (the bleed you get after ovulation).
That’s a trickier question.
I’m not going to say you need periods. The pill is an important and hard-won contraceptive option.
That said, those of us who want periods have some pretty good reasons:
1. We want to understand how we are doing in terms of our health and fertility. Periods are an important indicator of overall health.
The pill might not affect our health or fertility but it doesn’t fix it either.
It might provide welcome relief for all sorts of symptoms but it’s a mask, not a cure.
2. We want to know we’re not pregnant. A true period is a pretty good indicator that you are not pregnant.
Especially if it is preceded by the changed waking temperature and cervical fluid that are associated with ovulation.
3. We want to avoid unnecessary medication and the associated risks and side effects. It’s called “hormonal” contraception like it’s just the same as our hormones.
It’s not, it’s medication. And we’re expected to take it for decades. And yes it's unusual but women have died.
4. We want to avoid minor surgery like that involved in the insertion or removal of an implant or IUS inserted and removed. The “ick” factor, the pain and the risks (however small).
5. We want to relieve the pressure on the NHS, and/or the planet, and avoid all the hassle involved in getting an appointment and prescription.
One of the least convincing arguments against periods is the idea that they are “a modern phenomenon” because many women used to avoid them thanks to pregnancy or breastfeeding.
That might be true, but it's not very reassuring.
In terms of health, I'd rather be a medieval nun than a medieval mother of twelve.
Having babies and breastfeeding affects our health way more than periods.
This is why the RCOG advice is to have at least a year’s gap between giving birth and getting pregnant.
Basically, though it’s up to you if you want to have periods or not.
If you want to use the pill to skip bleeding then go ahead.
And it’s fine for your doctor to be curious about your reasons for wanting periods.
It’s not fine for them to be on a mission to persuade you to skip periods or use contraception that makes you uncomfortable.
Your body, your choice.
That’s a trickier question.
I’m not going to say you need periods. The pill is an important and hard-won contraceptive option.
That said, those of us who want periods have some pretty good reasons:
1. We want to understand how we are doing in terms of our health and fertility. Periods are an important indicator of overall health.
The pill might not affect our health or fertility but it doesn’t fix it either.
It might provide welcome relief for all sorts of symptoms but it’s a mask, not a cure.
2. We want to know we’re not pregnant. A true period is a pretty good indicator that you are not pregnant.
Especially if it is preceded by the changed waking temperature and cervical fluid that are associated with ovulation.
3. We want to avoid unnecessary medication and the associated risks and side effects. It’s called “hormonal” contraception like it’s just the same as our hormones.
It’s not, it’s medication. And we’re expected to take it for decades. And yes it's unusual but women have died.
4. We want to avoid minor surgery like that involved in the insertion or removal of an implant or IUS inserted and removed. The “ick” factor, the pain and the risks (however small).
5. We want to relieve the pressure on the NHS, and/or the planet, and avoid all the hassle involved in getting an appointment and prescription.
One of the least convincing arguments against periods is the idea that they are “a modern phenomenon” because many women used to avoid them thanks to pregnancy or breastfeeding.
That might be true, but it's not very reassuring.
In terms of health, I'd rather be a medieval nun than a medieval mother of twelve.
Having babies and breastfeeding affects our health way more than periods.
This is why the RCOG advice is to have at least a year’s gap between giving birth and getting pregnant.
Basically, though it’s up to you if you want to have periods or not.
If you want to use the pill to skip bleeding then go ahead.
And it’s fine for your doctor to be curious about your reasons for wanting periods.
It’s not fine for them to be on a mission to persuade you to skip periods or use contraception that makes you uncomfortable.
Your body, your choice.