A national survey said that more than two-thirds of women are interested in skipping their periods, but they’re not sure if it’s safe. In a recent press release from the Univ. of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, saying that skipping our monthly periods is safe. Physicians believe that it’s safe to skip periods, but they use different lingo that we do.
Many different types of oral contraceptives have been approved by the U.S. FDA to be used for the purpose of skipping monthly periods. Studies have shown that a majority of women would like to skip their periods. and oral contraceptives can help.
As many women can attest, there can be a lot of side effects that accompany our monthly periods. Headaches, moodiness, depression, cramps, and bloating are just a few of the wonderful things women look forward to every month. Who wouldn’t like to skip THAT.
“Menstruation is not medically necessary. Now that we have products that have proven to be safe and effective at suppressing menstruation, we can offer increasing options for women,” said Dr. Barnhart.
What? I can SKIP my periods? Periods are “not medically necessary? If a period isn’t “necessary,” why hasn’t anyone talked with me about skipping them before?
“The gap between physician and patient understanding concerning the necessity of monthly periods is obvious. It is our hope that based on these findings physicians will begin to more readily initiate dialogue with their female patients about continuous therapy — helping to eliminate the misconception that periods are a medical necessity and to emphasize the safety and viability of menstrual suppression,” said Dr. Barnhart.
According to a recent survey, only 12 percent of patients said that their doctors asked them about skipping their periods. Doctors tend to use medical terminology, such as “menstrual suppression,” instead of saying, “you can skip your period.
However, if you ask doctors, 4 out of 5 will say that they’ve talked with their patients about this, and most said that they were the ones who brought up the topic first.
Barnhart is an Associate Professor and Director of Clinical Research for the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. This study was funded in part by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Barnhart has also served as a consultant to Wyeth Pharmaceuticals.
What do you think?
This is not meant to provide medical advice. If you are concerned about this, or any other medical issue, please get medical advice from a trained professional.
