People with a uterus experience menstruation about once every 28 days for approximately 40 years of their lives.
Menstruation goes beyond just blood. It’s common for 84% of women to experience menstrual pain regularly. Severe menstrual pain can lead women to miss numerous days of education or work each month. Additionally, periods are costly, with an estimated lifetime cost of around 4,800 pounds (approximately $6,100).
Given these challenges, it’s only natural to want to stop menstruation. While periods may naturally cease during pregnancy, breastfeeding, or menopause, many women in the UK opt to stop their menstrual cycles using hormonal contraception.
Contraceptive pills, implants, and hormonal coils work by releasing hormones that prevent ovulation. Without an egg being released or the lining of the uterus thickening for pregnancy, menstruation, which occurs due to shedding of this lining, typically stops when it ceases to grow.
“There’s nothing harmful about not having a menstrual cycle,” affirms Dr. Nicola Tempest, a researcher and gynecologist at Liverpool Women’s Hospital. “Taking hormones doesn’t detract from your body’s wellbeing.”
But are there any drawbacks to not having periods?
For individuals with regular menstrual cycles (not taking hormonal contraceptives), the sudden absence of periods may signify underlying health issues.
While the occasional missed period isn’t typically worrisome, a prolonged absence of periods after having regular cycles could indicate potential problems such as early menopause or polycystic ovarian syndrome.
Tempest notes that individuals with such conditions may require hormone medication as part of their treatment, which could help in diagnosing these conditions along with other associated symptoms, even if periods have ceased due to birth control pills.
There may be certain side effects associated with hormonal contraceptives, such as a slight increase in the risk of breast, liver, and cervical cancer with long-term use. However, Tempest emphasizes that prolonged use of birth control also reduces the risk of endometrial and ovarian cancer.
In her view, menstruation is not an indispensable aspect of a person’s health. “If you wish to forego menstruation, you have that choice,” she states.
This article addresses the question “Can I stop my period?” posed by Veronica Nielson via email.
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Dr. Nicola Tempest I am a clinical researcher and gynecologist at Liverpool Women’s Hospital. Her research includes chronic pelvic pain, exercise and reproduction, and endometriosis.
Source: www.sciencefocus.com
