Safe and Effective Ways to Delay Your Period
Hormonal Birth Control Pills
One of the most common methods of delaying periods is to take hormonal birth control pills. This is how it is done:
1. Continuous Use: Rather than taking the placebo pills for the final week of the pill pack, women can opt not to take the placebo pills and begin a new pack immediately. This continuous use of active pills can successfully suppress the onset of menstruation.
2. Combination Pills: Combined oral contraceptive pills contain both progestin and estrogen hormones. By taking these pills continuously, women can stop menstruation for an extended period.
3. Progestin-Only Pills: Progestin-only pills, or mini-pills, can also be taken continuously to postpone menstruation. Progestin-only pills only contain progestin hormones and can be taken by women who are not able to take pills that contain estrogen.
Prescription Drugs
In addition to oral contraceptives, specific prescription medications may also be utilized to postpone menstruation:
1. Norethisterone is a synthetic form of the hormone progesterone. It is possible to take this medication in the days preceding the anticipated onset of menstruation to postpone the menstrual cycle. Norethisterone is taken for a given number of days and then stopped, thereby permitting the onset of menstruation.
2. Medroxyprogesterone Acetate (MPA): MPA is yet another synthetic progestin hormone that can be taken to delay periods. Like norethisterone, it is also taken for a short period to delay menstruation.
Natural Methods While weaker than hormonal options, some women can try natural methods to delay their periods:
Dietary Modification: Some women think that some foods or food supplements can be taken to postpone menstruation, but there is no scientific fact to support these statements.
