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Is the New Period Stopping the Pill Safe Enough to Prevent Acne and Pregnancy?
No tampons, no oversized maxi pads, no cramps… Any Pamprin-pressed woman could be put off by the endless benefits of a birth control pill. But has this new period disappeared and can it still protect acne? What is “period stop”? Well, first, the contraceptive called Lybrel doesn't actually stop periods. As the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals points out, birth control-induced period cessation is truly “menstrual suppression.” The body's response to the seven-day absence of contraceptive hormones after the typical 21-day contraceptive cycle triggers withdrawal bleeding, not a true period. Regardless of what it's called, the Food and Drug Administration's approval this week...
Is the New Period Stopping the Pill Safe Enough to Prevent Acne and Pregnancy?
No tampons, no oversized maxi pads, no cramps… Any Pamprin-pressed woman could be put off by the endless benefits of a birth control pill. But has this new period disappeared and can it still protect acne?
What is “period stop”?
Well, first, the contraceptive called Lybrel doesn't actually stop periods. As the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals points out, birth control-induced period cessation is truly “menstrual suppression.” The body's response to the seven-day absence of contraceptive hormones after the typical 21-day contraceptive cycle triggers withdrawal bleeding, not a true period.
Whatever the story, this week's Food and Drug Administration approval of skipping contraceptives has raised enough unanswered questions about safety to fill a month's worth of morning talk shows.
Lybrel
Period suppressant Lybrel comes in a 28-day pill pack. The pills contain 90 micrograms of progestin, levonorgestrel, and 20 micrograms of an estrogen, ethinyl estradiol. These active ingredients are similar to and work like other FDA-approved contraceptives. Unless you skip the placebos.
Levonorgestrel stops the body's monthly release of an egg from the ovary and thickens cervical mucus, making it more difficult for sperm to fertilize an egg.
Lybrel and acne control
Lybrel not only prevents pregnancy, but can also produce an acne-preventive effect. The ethinyl estradiol component of the pill can lower testosterone levels in the bloodstream and ultimately limit the secretion of facial oil - one of several factors that play a role in triggering acne.
But how will Lybrel menstrual suppression effectively treat acne?
A study sponsored by Lybrel manufacturer Wyeth supports the acne-preventing effects of levonorgestrel and ethinyl estradiol. Ironically, oily skin and acne are possible side effects of levonorgestrel. If acne occurs while using a contraceptive containing levonorgestrel, tell your doctor because commonly prescribed acne antibiotics such as tetracycline may make levonorgestrel less effective.
Further studies of menstrual suppression are needed
While the words “Stop your Period” may sound melodious to millions of women, the University of New Hampshire professor of sociology of gender and medical sociology is a professor
Jean Elson, they sound more like the opening to a horror film.
Elson says: "Using hormones to restrict normal menstruation seems to me to be a very strange mix of feminism and medical authority. Women are being offered the opportunity to control their own bodies, but what are the real effects?"
Additionally, Elson notes that menstruation has transformed from a biological issue into a social issue, suggesting that women "...may not find their periods so inconvenient if schools and workplaces offer people opportunities to rest."
Like Fredson, Margaret Freda, a professor of obstetrics, gynecology and women's health at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City, has doubts about menstrual suppression.
Last August, Freda told theAmerican Journal of Nursing“The jury is still out on complete menstrual suppression” until long-term studies of its safety are conducted.
A study published incontraceptiontested the safety of continuous daily use of Lybrel in over 2,000 healthy women with normal menstrual cycles. Among participants, Lybrel side effects were comparable to those reported for 21 days after and 7 days after oral contraceptives.
Dr. However, Camelia Davtyan, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, noticed a problem with the study. Davtyan toldHealthDay Newsthat “…the rate of complications associated with uterine bleeding is quite high.”
Admittedly, some women have been practicing menstrual suppression for years. It could take five to twenty years for medical studies to ultimately confirm the overall safety of this practice. In the meantime, women must once again rely on their intuition and personal health to decide how best to prevent pimples and pregnancy.
Sources:
Archera, David F. et al. Evaluation of a Continuous Regimen of Levonorgestrel/Ethinyl Estradiol: Phase 3 Study Results.contraception;; December 2006, Volume 74, No. 6, pp. 439-445.
Association of Reproductive Health Professionals.Health Issues: Understanding Menstrual Suppression. October 2006.
HealthDay News.New year-round contraceptive pill safe and effective. December 13, 2006.
Potera, Carol and Maureen Shawn Kennedy. Not menstruating: A trend for adults and some teenagers. Is it safe?American Journal of Nursing;; August 2006, Volume 106, No. 8, p. 19.
Thiboutot, Diane. A randomized, controlled trial of a low-dose contraceptive containing 20 mcg ethinyl estradiol and 100 mcg levonorgestrel for acne treatment.fertility and sterility;; September 2001, Volume 76, No. 3, pp. 461-468.
University of New Hampshire.Expert: New birth control pill that eliminates periods is a bad idea. Newswise; May 22, 2007.
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