Seasonale is a type of birth control pill that means that women only have 4 periods a year, rather than one each month. Some people feel that missing so many periods is unhealthy: others claim that it is actually very natural. What is the truth about this birth control?
Seasonale is an oral contraceptive that has two types of hormones in it: ethinyl estradiol, a synthetic estrogen, and levonorgestrel, a progestin (synthetic progesterone). This same combination of hormones can be found in many other pill formulations. The difference is that Seasonale has 84 active pills in a row, unlike normal pills, which only have 21 pills in a row. This means that you have your period only four times a year.
Seasonale is designed for women who are on birth control who are comfortable with skipping their periods. Women who are on birth control can already skip their periods by choosing not to take the placebo pills and simply going from the 21st day to the first day of a new pack. Seasonale is not that different. Some women wonder if Seasonale will leave them with more hormones in their bodies, and the answer is that Seasonale is a low-dose hormone pill with hormone levels comparable to or lower than most other oral contraceptives.
Especially during the first year of Seasonale, a woman might experience break-through bleeding. These could be as heavy as a period, or they could be lighter. They will become lighter until they disappear entirely. However, you cannot simply expect to take Seasonale and have only four periods a year immediately. Some women find that it is simply easier to take regular birth control, because then you know when you will get your period, and you won’t be caught unexpectedly bleeding.
One argument for the safety of Seasonale is that suppressing your period is healthy. Before the advent of hormonal birth control, women spent much more time pregnant and nursing, and so had many fewer periods than the women of today have. Birth control pills act to trick the body that it is pregnant, and so prevent ovulation (the release of the egg).
Other critics are sceptical of the benefits of skipping your period. Dr. Susan Rako, in her book The Blessing of the Curse: No More Periods? writes that Tampering with the hormonal climate of healthy menstruating women, including teenage girls whose lives stretch ahead for decades, for the purpose of doing away with their periods is, in a word, reckless.”
Those who believe that getting your period every month claim that the body needs natural cleansing, and that menstruation offers this. Getting your period releases the uterine lining. Some people argue that it helps prevent certain types of cancer, such as cervical cancer; however, a purely causal link has yet to be made.
Whether or not Seasonale is more dangerous than other birth control pills remains to be seen. However, it does carry the same risks as other oral contraceptives. As with any other type of birth control pill, you have a higher risk of certain types of cancer, an increased risk of blood clots and stroke, and other risks as well. Ask your doctor to go over the full side effects of any medication before you use it. You should not take Seasonale and smoke.
Ultimately, the decision lies with you and your doctor to try Seasonale. Do you find your periods painful, irksome, and frustrating? Or do you like the monthly reassurance that you’re not pregnant? Consider your lifestyle and what suits you best before deciding to switch methods of contraception.