What Birth Control Should I Use if I Don’t Want a Period Ever Again?

If you’ve ever used birth control to skip the period you were supposed to get over a family vacation or during a wedding celebration, you know it’s a pretty cool thing to be able to do. Maybe you liked skipping it so much that you found yourself wondering if you could skip your period each month, forever. The answer is yes! Here’s what to know about using birth control to never have another period. For answers to your specific questions, make an appointment to at your nearest The Right Time health center. 

First thing’s first, let’s establish the facts: it is totally safe to go for months (or even years) without having a period. Also, you can do it for as long as you want, it just depends on what you are comfortable with and whether you have spotting. And lastly, skipping periods does not make your birth control less effective. The only thing that can make your birth control less effective is forgetting to use it. Also, it’s important to consider that it might take some time for your period to go away completely, and you might experience breakthrough bleeding during that process. 

There are actually several methods you can use if you never want to have another period. They are: 

• Hormonal IUDs. About 1 in 5 people using the Mirena or LILETTA IUDs had their periods stop altogether after a year. A Washington University in St. Louis study found women with light and normal bleeding were most likely to stop bleeding altogether, and those with light (21%) and normal (16%) flows reported no periods in the last six months. To use the IUD to stop your period, a provider at your nearest The Right Time health center will insert it into your uterus. 

• The Shot. Depo-Provera injections may lessen the intensity of your menstrual cramps and period, or they might go away altogether. However, a common side effect of the shot is irregular bleeding for the first six to 12 months of use. This can mean longer or heavier periods or spotting in between periods. To use the shot to stop your period, a provider at your nearest The Right Time health center will give you the injection every three months. 

• The Implant. Some people get no periods at all (at least for a while) using this method. However, like the shot, irregular bleeding for the first six to 12 months is common, and some folks have irregular bleeding the whole time the implant is in. To use the implant to stop your period, a provider at your nearest The Right Time health center will insert it under the skin on your upper arm. 

You can also use the pill or the ring to skip your periods. With the ring, you’ll keep it in for four weeks (instead of three). After the fourth week, you’ll take it out and insert a new ring. With the pill, you’ll take either 21 active pills or 24 active pills (this depends on your pack) as you normally would. But instead of taking the placebo pills (the last seven or four pills in the pack), you will start an entirely new pack. 

Remember: if you’re using a method with the hope that you’ll never have another period while on it, it takes awhile for your period to go away. If you have questions about this, or want to know what you can expect that process to look like, make an appointment to talk to a provider at your nearest The Right Time health center.

Updated August 2021