Is it safe for a teenage girl to be on the pill to prevent periods?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are you comfortable taking the blame down the road if her reproductive system is damaged? It is not your life to gamble with.

The pill can cause depression and mood swings.

[Anonymous]

Sports reasons is not a thing, speaking as a former serious athlete who suffered from dysmenorrhea. I mean, unless she’s got serious endometriosis... in which case, she should absolutely suspend menstruation until if/when she wants to have kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sports reasons is not a thing, speaking as a former serious athlete who suffered from dysmenorrhea. I mean, unless she’s got serious endometriosis... in which case, she should absolutely suspend menstruation until if/when she wants to have kids.

Swim mom here. It is a thing.

[Anonymous]

OP, thank you for starting this thread. I have considered starting one like it for a while.

DD is 14 and in 8th grade. She started her period this summer, a couple of months before she turned 14. It has started to be more regular now. I had already asked DD’s pediatrician about hormonal BC for DD when she got to high school, but the pediatrician (a mom of two daughters) did not recommend it. However, she said we could take DD to a GYN to discuss further.

Once DD is in high school, I would love to have her avoid the hassle of a period if possible. She plays several sports and will be required to do freshman PE with swimming.

For those with DDs on BC, what age did they start? DD and I have only discussed this briefly, but obviously the decision would be hers in-concert with advice from her GYN.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DD takes Seasonale, so she gets a lighter period every 3 months. Has been fantastic. Her pediatrician says it is perfectly safe.

PP, at what age did your DD start?

[Anonymous]

I wouldn’t. I was on the pill for 15 years and regret being on it for so long because at some point I stopped having periods but never noticed bc I’d get a small period when not taking the active pills. So when I went off the pill after getting married and hoping to have kids, I never got my period back and needed fertility treatment to get pregnant. The drs don’t know why my period stopped when it was regular before going on the pill. If I could do it over I never would’ve gone on birth control, especially for that long.

[Anonymous]

It's safe to take the pill young and for extended periods. As for depression and moodiness, different formulations affect people different ways: she should record how she feels (there are apps) and may need to experiment with different brands. Personally, I loved Yasmin but hated Ortho Tricyclin; other people are the exact opposite.

As others have noted, skipping the monthly placebos may not work: she may need to seek a pill specifically for reducing periods.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn’t. I was on the pill for 15 years and regret being on it for so long because at some point I stopped having periods but never noticed bc I’d get a small period when not taking the active pills. So when I went off the pill after getting married and hoping to have kids, I never got my period back and needed fertility treatment to get pregnant. The drs don’t know why my period stopped when it was regular before going on the pill. If I could do it over I never would’ve gone on birth control, especially for that long.

I'm sorry for your experience but is there any reason to think the pill caused that? Or are you saying you would have addressed it earlier but the pill was masking symptoms?

[Anonymous]

Being on the pill a long time can really mess up the hormonal balance for some of us. Even after you stop taking it. Regret ever it. Inform yourself about the risks and benefits and let her decide. It’s her body.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Being on the pill a long time can really mess up the hormonal balance for some of us. Even after you stop taking it. Regret ever it. Inform yourself about the risks and benefits and let her decide. It’s her body.

I regret ever taking it*

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn’t. I was on the pill for 15 years and regret being on it for so long because at some point I stopped having periods but never noticed bc I’d get a small period when not taking the active pills. So when I went off the pill after getting married and hoping to have kids, I never got my period back and needed fertility treatment to get pregnant. The drs don’t know why my period stopped when it was regular before going on the pill. If I could do it over I never would’ve gone on birth control, especially for that long.

Exact same story here. I went on it as a teenager and was on it until I was 28, married and ready to start thinking about trying. I'd had very normal regular periods before going on the pill...came off it and my period never returned. I needed fertility meds to get pregnant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sports reasons is not a thing, speaking as a former serious athlete who suffered from dysmenorrhea. I mean, unless she’s got serious endometriosis... in which case, she should absolutely suspend menstruation until if/when she wants to have kids.

Swim mom here. It is a thing.

That’s crazy - women swim with their periods every day. What kind of crazy swim mom are you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn’t. I was on the pill for 15 years and regret being on it for so long because at some point I stopped having periods but never noticed bc I’d get a small period when not taking the active pills. So when I went off the pill after getting married and hoping to have kids, I never got my period back and needed fertility treatment to get pregnant. The drs don’t know why my period stopped when it was regular before going on the pill. If I could do it over I never would’ve gone on birth control, especially for that long.

Did your ovaries shut down?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sports reasons is not a thing, speaking as a former serious athlete who suffered from dysmenorrhea. I mean, unless she’s got serious endometriosis... in which case, she should absolutely suspend menstruation until if/when she wants to have kids.

Swim mom here. It is a thing.

That’s crazy - women swim with their periods every day. What kind of crazy swim mom are you?

Different swim mom here. My swim kid learned of period suppression from a lacrosse kid. Women play lacrosse with their periods every day as well. It doesn't mean it's convenient or desirable, and if a girl or woman wants to suppress her period it should be her informed choice.

My DD used the pill to suppress her period temporarily and then decided the pill was more disruptive than the period. The pill was certainly cheaper than period supplies, however.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn’t. I was on the pill for 15 years and regret being on it for so long because at some point I stopped having periods but never noticed bc I’d get a small period when not taking the active pills. So when I went off the pill after getting married and hoping to have kids, I never got my period back and needed fertility treatment to get pregnant. The drs don’t know why my period stopped when it was regular before going on the pill. If I could do it over I never would’ve gone on birth control, especially for that long.

Exact same story here. I went on it as a teenager and was on it until I was 28, married and ready to start thinking about trying. I'd had very normal regular periods before going on the pill...came off it and my period never returned. I needed fertility meds to get pregnant.

So your periods were different when you were 18 from when you were 28? This is a thing that happens, whether or not you were on the pill.