Birth Control Blues
When the birth control pill was first approved for use in 1960, it looked pretty much the same as modern forms of monthly birth control. The dosage packs contained 21 “active” pills, which contained a hormone to prevent the release of an egg from the ovary, and seven “inactive,” or placebo pills, which were placeholders that did not contain any drug.
When taken as prescribed, these seven placebo pills allow the body to go without the hormones for a few days, causing the uterus to shed its lining and make the woman have a monthly period.
“The thinking was that women would find this more acceptable, that they would feel like they were having their normal [period],” says Dr. Susan Ernst, chief of gynecology services for the University Health Service at the University of Michigan.
But many doctors point out that this monthly bleed is a result of controlling the menstrual cycle, not as natural as many women believe.
“When a woman chooses to use hormonal contraceptives, she’s [suppressing] her own hormonal fluctuations,” says Ernst. “So she’s always controlling her cycle by taking those hormonal contraceptives and can further control her cycle by eliminating the placebo pills.”
For decades, women have occasionally skipped the week of placebo pills to avoid getting their period on an important event or vacation. In a survey completed by the Association of Reproductive Health, 22 percent of women claimed to have used the birth control pill at one point to either delay or stop their period for a given amount of time.
