Study, 2004
Can extending birth control pills help with period symptoms like pain and headaches?
Yes. Most women who tried extending their birth control pills continued using this approach, with 67% still using the extended regimen at their last follow-up visit.
What they did
Researchers looked back at medical records for 220 women aged 14 to 52 who were advised to extend their birth control pill regimen with a shortened break of 3 to 4 days instead of the usual 7 days. They reviewed records from 2000 to 2004 and tracked who tried this approach and how long they kept it up.
What they found
Of 181 women with follow-up data, 174 tried the extended regimen. Among women, 45% wanted to extend for premenstrual symptoms, 40% for pelvic pain, 36% for heavy bleeding, and 35% for menstrual headaches. About 67% of those with follow-up data continued using the extended approach at their last visit. Roughly 60% of women who used extended pill patterns kept doing so for more than 2 years.
What it means for you
Extending birth control pills with a shorter pill-free break may help women with period-related symptoms, and most who try it continue long-term. The main limitation is that this looked at one doctor's records from the past, so results may differ for other women or doctors.
220
women counseled about extending pills
67%
continued using extended regimen at last visit
60%
continued for more than 2 years
About the study
- Original title
- Outcomes of extended oral contraceptive regimens with a shortened hormone-free interval to manage breakthrough bleeding
- Authors
- Sulak PJ, Carl J, Gopalakrishnan I et al.
- Journal
- Contraception
- Year
- 2004
- Study design
- Study
- Participants
- 220
- What was tested
- Extended birth control pills with shortened pill-free breaks of 3 to 4 days instead of 7 days
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/j.contraception.2004.04.007
Topics
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