THE frustration and inconvenience that come with the monthly period sometimes make women wish they could bypass their menstrual flow -- sometimes for months at a time. As a means of foregoing the menstrual cycle, some women have taken contraceptive pills without breaking for the usual seven days to allow for the menses, and instead go month after month without a break.

And stopping the menses for lengthy periods, even up to a year, has no health repercussions, Ripon Surgi-Centre gynaecologist Dr Charles Rockhead says.

"There are no side effects or disadvantages to stopping the period," the doctor assures. "A lot of women just like the feeling of having their period because they feel it makes them healthy, but there is no harm in stopping it."

Dr Rockhead also explains that there are also other contraceptives that stop the cycle for long periods of time without any side effects at all.

The Depo Provera is a hormone injection that lasts for three months to prevent pregnancy. This stops the ovaries from releasing eggs, thus preventing menstruation during those three months.

And Mirena, which as become quite popular locally, is an Intrauterine Contraceptive Device that is said to stop periods in approximately one out of five women who use it. In other cases, Mirena will cause a woman to have periods about three to four times a year.

Research has shown that for the first three to six months of using Mirena, your monthly period may become irregular. You may also have frequent spotting or light bleeding, while a few women may have heavy bleeding during this time. After your body adjusts, the number of bleeding days is likely to decrease (but may remain irregular), and you may even find that your period stops altogether for as long as Mirena is in place.

Another option is Norplant, an implant that can be effective up to five years after it is inserted. While bleeding may occur irregularly in the first six months or so, it may prevent bleeding for the remainder of the time. However, this lack of menstrual cycle is not harmful to your health.

-- Donna Hussey-Whyte

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