Is the pill still safe?

[tea]

Hey Nurse Nettie! Is the pill still safe?

Recent articles like this one from the SBS discuss how people have been taking the pill ‘wrong’ for the last 60 years. According to the article, it’s not necessary to be taking a 7-day break each month, of course, this is still put to individual discretion when taking the pill.

“But many women express concern that not bleeding every month may be harmful to their health or fertility. Beliefs that menstrual blood “builds up inside” if bleeding does not occur or that the body needs to “cleanse” itself every month are common. This may be due to a misunderstanding about why bleeding does not occur with some hormonal contraception.”

I was totally under this assumption as well!! But according to these new studies/articles, it’s not necessary? Which I guess makes sense since on some methods like the IUD you can not bleed at all.

Is this new information true? Is the pill still safe? Can the sugar pills be ignored completely?

[Purple]

Hi @tea! Of course ignore my advice over the advice of Nurse Nettie, but back when I was a pill my doctor said and even encouraged that I skip it, and she said just as long as you have your period three times a year (i.e. take the sugar pills) it’s acceptable.

[tea]

@purple woah that sounds like an amazing GP!!! Do you think she gave you this information because of her gender and/or personal experience? I’ve never ever gotten so much as a written piece of paper and goodbye from my male GP’s when I was taking the pill. Ah wow, I really wish GP’s, in general, discussed contraception much more than they do, in my experiences anyway!

[tea]

Oh, also there’s this thread here discussing the pill and your period – what’s safe and what’s not!

[GoldenRose]

@tea I was given the same advice as @Purple from a sexual health nurse at my local GP! She said she often tells girls to skip their periods for long periods of time

[sextronaut]

@tea I’ve found this discovery so interesting! And the fact that it has to do with the Pope too – what the heck! When I was on the pill, I was encouraged to skip the sugar pill week to manage the mood swings I was having every time I had a withdrawal bleed. I had no idea that this bleed lessens the effectiveness of the drug, though! I’m so curious to see what comes out about it next.

[tea]

@sextronaut Maybe they’ll engineer the pill to come in packs without the sugar pills completely? Or have a different system for them? I wonder if the new information will have any effect at all really?

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