The impact of having a monthly period, for some women, can be experienced as a minor inconvenience, yet it can also be a major health concern for others. The use of the Ortho Evra Patch gives women the choice to decide when and if they become pregnant while also allowing women the ability to control when and if they have a period. Research shows that if given the choice, most women would prefer extended menstrual cycles. Many women may have medical reasons for wanting to skip a period. The most common medical reasons that women give include headaches, cramping, painful periods, heavy bleeding, and PMS.
Difficulty: Easy
Time Required: N/A
Here's How:
- Determine the month that you wish to skip your period.
- Continue to replace/change your contraceptive patch once a week for the three weeks prior to wanting to skip your period.
- After week 3, remove your patch.
- Instead of not using the patch during week 4 and waiting for your period, put on a new patch during the forth week (after you take the previous one off). This will keep the hormone levels constant, and by keeping steady the supply of hormones, this will eliminate your monthly withdrawal bleed.
- Continue using a new patch once a week, for 3 consecutive weeks.
- When you reach the end of the third week the patch, take it off, and your withdrawal bleed (i.e., period) should return.
Tips:
- Make sure you have enough Ortho Evra Patches on hand.
- Keep track of where you are in your cycle as you must immediately replace your old contraceptive patch with a new at the end of your third week of use.
- If you only wish to skip one period, as soon as you begin put on your new contraceptive patch (during week 4), continue as you normally would. However, if you want to skip the next month’s period as well, just repeat steps 2 to 5.
- Some women are concerned about the safety of skipping periods. Research has consistently shown that this is common and completely safe to do. Plus, this practice does not compromise the effectiveness of your birth control pills.
- For More Information: See No More Periods: The Safety of Continuous Birth Control
- One thing to keep in mind, some insurance companies will not allow you to pick up a prescription early, so make sure to check this out ahead of time if you are planning to skip your period and need to purchase additional patches.
What You Need:
- Ortho Evra Patches
- A calendar
