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Since the birth control pill was invented in the 1960s, doctors have known a dirty little secret: Medically speaking, periods aren't necessary. If you're on the Pill, you can safely skip your period—and the anxiety-ridden mood swings, acne, and debilitating pain that can sometimes come with them—entirely. So why have women been taking week after week of placebo pills to keep their period coming every month? You can blame the pope.
Earlier this week the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare (the official organization setting reproductive health standards for the NHS in the United Kingdom) made an update to its guidelines, officially stating there's no health benefit to taking those monthly seven-day breaks from the Pill. This has been typical Pill protocol for decades, so why the reversal? According to John Guillebaud, a professor of family planning and reproductive health, it all goes back to John Rock, one of the gynecologists who invented the Pill. A devout Catholic, Dr. Rock built in the break in order to please the Catholic Church and, he hoped, earn the endorsement of the pope at the time, Guillebaud told The Telegraph
"In the Catholic Church the rhythm method is an accepted form of birth control," says Sophia Yen, M.D., a gynecologist in California and founder of Pandia Health, "so his thought was that if he could make women's periods rock solid and regular, it would make this method easier to practice [and more appealing to the pope]." Dr. Rock's plan didn't work—the pope didn't go for it and ultimately decided the Church wouldn't support Catholics using birth control—but nevertheless, the built-in breaks to allow for a monthly period stuck.
In other words, the reason women on the Pill have been having regular periods month after month, for the past 60 years, is all because a man was trying to please another man. Seriously.
This is of course much to the annoyance of many women, who, stats show, would gladly skip over that week of placebo pills (and the period that comes with them) if they could. In a 2018 survey conducted by Pandia Health, 57 percent of women ages 18 to 30 said they would "turn off" their period if they knew it was safe. But despite this, nearly two thirds of women said their doctor had never talked about this as an option with birth control. Part of the reason may be that doctors have been afraid to rock the boat, says Dr. Yen. "Doctors have only recently been more accepting of this idea. Now that we have other methods of birth control that suppress menses like the IUD, implant, and Depo-Provera shot," she says, doctors are able to collect more data on safely skipping your period.
And having fewer periods may actually be better for your health. Taking the Pill daily without breaking for a period every month can help reduce acne, headaches (which can be triggered by a drop in estrogen levels when you take the sugar pills), and fewer painful periods, Dr. Yen says. Even bigger deal: It could lower your risk of ovarian cancer—studies have shown that the more you ovulate (i.e., the more periods you have over a lifetime), the higher your risk of ovarian cancer.
Armed with more and more data to face the crumbling decades-old misconceptions, "doctors are finally getting on board," Dr. Yen says. After 60 years of following a plan meant to please the pope, it's about time.
