Birth Control Methods Affect Your Period, Why and How? A Complete Guide

Do you feel irregularity in your period after using different birth control methods? This means using different types of Birth Control Methods without consulting a healthcare provider has affected your period. Now, you’re obviously looking for some tips to regulate your menstrual cycle. You’re at the right place. 

online Health Point has gathered thorough information that may help you find a birth control method that would not affect your period or may help make it regular. Birth control methods are of different types, some of them suppress your period entirely and some just cause irregularity. Although complete suppression or stopping of menstruation has no effect on your health and well-being, your body can stay healthy without menstruation. But if you miss your period due to birth control, you should speak to your healthcare provider to guide you what type of birth control is suitable for you that wouldn’t disturb your menstrual cycle. 

The article may help you understand how different birth control methods affect your period.

What are Birth Control or Contraceptives?

Both birth control and contraception are methods to prevent pregnancy but they are also used to help manage menstruation. Women generally use contraceptives for managing irregular periods, pain and heavy bleeding during periods. Pills, patches and hormonal coils are most common contraceptives that not only help prevent pregnancy but also improve periods regularity.

According to studies, healthcare providers also use contraceptives for reducing risk of certain health conditions including endometrial or ovary cancer. The other type of contraceptives are barrier method contraceptives that include condoms. They help prevent risk of cervical cancer by reducing the risk of transmission of HPV virus.

Different Methods for Birth Control

Common methods used for preventing pregnancy are:

The Pills

If you avoid pregnancy, you have to take these pills every day. These pills are of different kinds that are taken according to specific schedule. Avoid taking birth control pills on your own. Your doctor can suggest better options. They may recommend you a pill according to your personal preferences and health history.

Combination Pills

These pills are formulated with a combination of two sex hormones i.e estrogen and progesterone. Their combined effect causes end of ovulation by thinning the uterus lining and thickening of cervical mucus. These pills are available in a poach of 21 days course of active pills and 7 days with inactive pills. They help regulate your menstrual cycle and allow you to have your period each month after taking inactive pills.

Other packaging of these pills contain a 96 days course in which 84 days are specified for active pills and the remaining 7 days are for inactive pills. These pills effectively reduce bleeding during the active period days. More portions of packaged birth control pills pack contain only active pills that tend to eliminate menstruation completely.

In addition, combination pills are also recommended to relieve symptoms of premenstrual syndrome(PMS), and menstrual cramps. They also ease the bleeding. Sometimes, people experience spotting or irregular bleeding after taking combination pills. But it’s not a matter of worry. Because hormonal pills cause more severe spotting than combination oils. These symptoms go away on their own after a few months.

Mini pills

Progestin hormone is considered effective to prevent pregnancy. In mini-pills progesterone hormone is added. Mini pills actually thin the lining of the uterus and thicken cervical mucus to create hurdles for sperm entry. The combined effect affects ovulation but it doesn’t stop completely. Both types of pulls contain hormones but mini-pills contain less amount of progestin than combination pills.

These pills are available in the market easily. A common package of mini-pills contains 28 pills with no inactive pills. 

Their use causes stopping or lightening of periods. Unpredictable spotting leads to heavy bleeding and causes serious discomfort.

However, these symptoms go away on their own after a few months.

Vaginal Ring

NuvaRing is also known as a vaginal ring that is used to prevent pregnancy. Ring when gets into vagina, it releases sex hormones called a progesterone and estrogen there. The vaginal ring after insertion, causes thickening of cervical mucus and stops ovulation. It also thins the endometrial lining to prevent pregnancy. 

Its working is similar to combination pills. The only difference is delivery of hormones through tissues of vagina.

This ring remains active for three weeks then its shield is changed. It also aids the menstruation management procedures. You can adopt any method for this. For example, you may wait for one week before inserting the new rung. Week without rung will be your period week. But if you like to get your period monthly to confirm that you’re not pregnant, this method is the right choice for you.

The next option includes the insertion of a new ring immediately after removing the expired one. This will make you skip your period. Avoid choosing this option without discussing it with your doctor. Because if you want to skip your period for a month you cannot stop it completely. You may still have spotting or irregular bleeding. However, after the first few months the spotting and bleeding will stop or lessen. But when you wait four weeks between rings, you experience lighter periods. If you usually experience cramping, rings will make it less severe. 

Patch

Bury control patches are commonly used for preventing pregnancy. People wear the patch directly on skin. It releases progesterone and estrogen hormones through the skin into the bloodstream that stop pregnancy. If you use the itch for pregnancy prevention, keep in mind, remove the one once a week for three consecutive weeks. Remain Patch-free for the fourth week. This week is your menstruation week. This method is effective for regulating your periods and also makes them more predictable. People sometimes also experience spotting during the first few months.

Experts also claim that itch helps relieve menstruation cramps and make your period lighter than before. Applying another patch in the fourth week can help you skip your periods safely. You can enjoy one more period-free week. 

However, using patches without any recommendation can cause side effects. So, it is better to talk to your healthcare provider before using and then skipping consecutive periods because the higher levels of hormones present in patches can cause serious complications than the pill or ring.

Progesterone-Only Contraception

POC (Progesterone-only contraception) is another type of birth control that contains only progesterone hormone without estrogen. It is recommended in the form of injections.. This is the most effective form of birth control for the people who do not want to use birth control methods that contain estrogen.

Its common benefits include:

• Reduced risk of pelvic inflammatory disease.
• Easy to use.
• Less estrogen-related side effects such as breast tenderness, nausea and headaches.
• Long-lasting because the effect of injection lasts for months even for years.
• Low chances of ectopic pregnancy.
• Reduced risk of endometrial cancer.

However, this birth control method affects your periods differently. If you’re taking it in the form of pills, they can cause spotting or irregular bleeding and make your periods heavier or lighter. While in injection form it causes changes in bleeding patterns, like missed or lighter periods.

POC is the best choice for you if you don’t want to have estrogen-containing birth control methods, people who are breastfeeding or have a history of certain medical conditions like blood clotting often like to use this money. 

However, doctors do not recommend it to those who are at risk of osteoporosis, as it can decrease bone density.

Intrauterine Device (IUD)

Healthcare inserts a small device called an IUD into your uterus. They are of different ties. You can choose the one for you. They help prevent pregnancy for up to 10 years. They are categorized as long-acting reversible concentration.

Its different types include:

Copper IUD

The copper IUD is considered harmful for sperms. Inserting copper IUD in your uterus prevents the sperms reaching the egg to fertilize it. Tie copper IUD doesn’t contain any hormone, your ovulation and period regularity never get disturbed with its use. common side effects are:

• Random spotting.
• Heavier and prolonged bleeding.
• More painful and menstrual cramps.

Studies show that these effects in most people decrease after the first few myths.

Hormonal IUD

Hormonal IUD contains progestin hormone. The hormone is released in the thin lining of uterus when the IUD is inserted. Thus thickens the cervical mucus and blocks the sperms from reaching the uterus ,preventing the pregnancy. Different brands manufacture hormonal IUD. They are easily available in the market.

Remember, hormonal IUDs cause light periods and less painful cramps and PMS. But in some people, it can cause spotting or irregular periods. The matter is not serious because these symptoms usually decrease over time. Sometimes, hormonal IUDs cause complete and permanent stopping of periods. 

Shot

Depo-Provera is the common method for birth control and also known as Shot. It is actually an injection that contains progestin hormone for preventing pregnancy for about four months. After four months you need another injection of Depo-Provera. The shots release progestin hormone leading to the prevention of pregnancy. This also does this by thinning the uterus lining and thickening of cervical mucus to block the sperm entry.

Its common side effects include abrupt changes in your menstrual cycle. Your periods become irregular with unpredictable blending and start of spotting. In most people the injection causes less frequent and lighter periods as time goes on. When you use this birth control method for more than one year, it stops menstruation completely. But when you stop getting injections, periods return to their normal routine. 

However, some severe cases had been observed where this birth control method caused prolonged and heavier than usual bleeding.

Implant

A small plastic rod is placed in your upper arm, known as a contraceptive implant. It releases progestin hormone to thickens the cervical mucus and blocking sperms leading to stop ovulation. The implant lowers the chance of pregnancy for up to two years. After two years you should remove or replace it. The implant causes unpredictable changes to your periods. Common effects are light bleeding and unpredictable spotting. Time variation between each period is also a dark side of implant. Sometimes, implants cause complete menstruation. 

In addition, some uses also experience prolonged bleeding. If you feel any of these, tell your healthcare provider immediately.

Studies show most females stop using implants because they dislike changes occurring in their period schedule.

Birth Control Methods that Don’t Affect Your Period

Yes, it is not necessary that every birth control method affects your period. Here are some that do not cause any change in the regularity or schedule of your periods. These include:

• Female condom.
• Male condom.
• Cervical cap.
• Diaphragm.
• Contraceptive sponge.
• Spermicide.

The difference between these birth control methods and the others that mentioned earlier is that you have to use them every time when you have sex to avoid pregnancy. Its correct use is also important for having safe sex without any risk of pregnancy. If you use the birth control methods correctly, they perform well but some factors shrill affect their working for preventing pregnancy. 

So, understand their use carefully before finalizing which one is best for you. You can use these birth control methods with other contraceptive options to manage your periods. If you want to protect yourself from sexually transmitted infections (STIs), the only reliable method is male and and female condoms.

Conclusion

Birth control methods are used to have a safe and effective way for preventing pregnancy without disturbing your periods. But some birth control methods affect your periods. Although these effects are not long-lasting and fade away after the first few weeks or months, the discomforts due to changes in time and regularity of periods’ becomes unbearable. 

Choosing the right contraception is your personal decision that you should take after accounting for several factors such as your personal preferences and health considerations. You also should not ignore the factors that can increase the risk of STIs. 

Your healthcare provider can provide you further information about potential side effects and beneficial effects of each method. They may help you choose the right option based on your needs.