Is It Safe to Skip My Period While Taking Oral Contraception (the Pill)?

About 15% of women in the U.S. take a birth control pill. The name “birth control pill” is actually a bit misleading, because these medications can be used for more than pregnancy prevention. Although the hormones in the pill are designed to block ovulation (the release of an egg during the menstrual cycle), they can also reduce: 

• Bleeding 

• Pain associated with endometriosis 

• Ovarian cysts

• Cramps

• Headaches

• Acne

• Insomnia 

Some people who take the pill do so to skip or control the timing of their menstruation. Let’s look at how safe this practice is and some of the pros and cons of skipping periods on birth control.

How to skip a period using oral contraceptives

Oral contraceptive pills can be used to skip a period when you take pills with active hormones daily and avoid any inactive pills. There are many different types of oral contraceptive pills. Most combination pill packs include: 

• 21 to 24 active pills, which contain estrogen and progestin

• 4 or 7 inactive pills, also known as “placebo,” or sugar, pills

To skip or delay your period, take a pill daily as usual. When getting to the inactive pills, start a new pack instead. The inactive pills usually are colored differently. If you’re not sure which ones are inactive, talk with your pharmacist. 

The change in hormone levels that occurs when you move from taking an active pill to a placebo pill is typically what kick-starts menstruation. Continuous or extended cycle birth control pill options are also available to decrease how often you have a period. With these, each pill is active with hormones and there aren’t inactive pills at the end of every month.

What are the benefits of skipping my period?

When oral contraceptives pills were originally designed in the 1960s, scientists believed that users would be more comfortable taking the medication if it didn’t change their regular menstrual cycle. This is why the placebo pills were included: to simulate the timing of a normal period. 

Today, we know that there’s no specific health benefit for having a period each month. What’s more, less frequent menstruation can even be beneficial in some people who are at risk of anemia (low blood counts) from heavy bleeding, or menstrual migraines. So skipping your period may be more than a convenience — it can have health benefits, too.

What are the risks of skipping my period using the pill?

Overall, it’s safe to skip a period. But, there may be a few things to consider when skipping your period each month. 

If you’re skipping the inactive pills each month, you might get out of sync with your insurance refill authorizations. For example, if you take active pills only, you’ll need your next month’s supply as early as day 22, but your insurance may only cover a new pack of pills every 28 days. If this is an issue for you, consider asking your prescriber to switch you to a 3-month pill specifically designed to skip over the inactive pills.

And, finally, another risk of changing your medication routine is that you may occasionally forget to take the active pills. It’s important to keep in mind that gaps of more than 7 days of active pills may allow ovulation, which can lead to unwanted pregnancy for those who are sexually active.

What are the potential side effects of skipping periods while on birth control?

If you choose to take your active birth control pills continuously, you are likely to have breakthrough bleeding — spotting or bleeding at unpredictable times. This is normal and not a health risk. But it can be inconvenient. The frequency of breakthrough bleeding decreases the longer continuous packs are used.

Other side effects may include: 

• Breast tenderness

• Depressed mood

• Headache

• Nausea

• Decreased libido

Many of these will resolve without changes. Others may improve with an adjustment to the estrogen dose to resolve. 

What types of birth control pills are available?

There are many different types of oral contraceptives (more than 40 different generic pills with over 150 brand names). They all offer slightly different types and amounts of the hormones estrogen and progesterone.

Finding the best birth control for you — especially if you plan to use it to control the timing of your period — may take some trial and error with your healthcare professional. 

It can be helpful to think of the pill in four broad categories: 

• The minipill: This pill contains only one type of female hormone — progestin — and is meant to be taken continuously. There are no placebo pills in the pack. The way it is designed means that many people who take it don’t menstruate, but some still have periods and breakthrough bleeding. Also note that it’s not as effective as other pills at preventing pregnancy, but it can reduce heavy bleeding.

• Combination pills: These pills contain different combinations of estrogen and progestin. Some pills contain the same amount of these hormones every day (“monophasic” pills), and others vary the amount in an attempt to more closely imitate the natural menstrual cycle (“biphasic” and “triphasic” pills). These cycles include the placebo pills, which can be skipped to avoid your period. 

• Extended-cycle pills: These pills are designed to be taken for 3 months at a time before there’s a scheduled break in the active pills. They’re prescribed in 90-day packs, and there are no inactive or placebo pills in a pack. 

• Low-estrogen pills: These pills are made with a lower dose of estrogen (compared to the higher doses contained in combination and extended-cycle pills). They may be more suitable for women who have unwanted symptoms with higher-dose estrogen, or to reduce exposure to estrogens. Similar to the combination packs, they contain placebo pills that can be skipped over.

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Written by:

Valerie Anne Jones, MD

Val Jones, MD, is a physician who is certified by the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (ABPMR).

Edited by:

Karla Robinson, MD

Karla Robinson, MD, is a medical editor for GoodRx. She is a licensed, board-certified family physician with almost 20 years of experience in health through varied clinical, administrative, and educational roles.

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