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  |  Women's Health  |  Reproductive Health  |  Missing periods while on the Pill
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Some surprising facts from the Colonel

Missing periods while on the Pill

by Peg Plumbo

question
Before I began taking the Pill I had a very regular 28-day cycle. Over the past 12 months, I have started missing periods, sometimes up to three months in a row. When I get a period again, it is always very heavy. Could I be getting pregnant and then miscarrying? Do you think that my periods will ever become as regular as they once were?

answer
The fact that you're missing periods is likely to be related to the low dose of the Pill. There simply is not enough oestrogen to build up a good lining (endometrium) in the uterus, so there is little to shed. In addition, the body does not recognise the ‘fall’ in hormones to start the period because of the contraceptive's low dose.

Oral contraceptives are so effective that it is highly unlikely that you're getting pregnant and then miscarrying. Of course, birth control pills are less effective if you miss taking one or more (especially in the early part of the cycle) or you're experiencing vomiting or diarrhoea. Other medicines, usually antibiotics, may interact with the Pill to reduce its effectiveness.

This should have no effect on future fertility or on the regularity of future periods. Most women ovulate two weeks after they stop taking the Pill. If you were regular before the Pill, the chances are that you will return to the same type of cycle.

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