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Your period can be super annoying. Not only do you have to deal with PMS, cramps, headaches or other side effects, but it also always seems to come at the worst times. I don’t know about you guys, but every time I plan some sort of beach vacation, my period seems to come along also. Have you ever had the urge to skip your period entirely? Yeah, I thought so.

The good news is that skipping your period is totally possible if you take birth control pills. We’ll get to the bad news later (hint: it’s not that bad). In fact, recent research has found that more and more women have been using their birth control pills in a way that allows them to skip their period – and it really may not be as bad for you as some of us have thought.

Researchers found that the majority of women who skip their periods do so for convenience reasons. Getting your period is nothing to be ashamed of, but let’s be real: doing without one every month would make life a whole lot easier, wouldn’t it? You wouldn’t have to spend money on tampons, deal with mood swings that alienate everyone around you or fight cramps and chocolate cravings. And with the summertime and beach season coming up, it sounds even more tempting. Who likes having their period while they’re laying in public wearing a tiny bathing suit? No one, that’s who.

So, how do you skip your period? First of all, you need to be using birth control pills – that’s the only way you’re going to get rid of that time of the month. Then the rest of the process is super easy.

As you probably know, birth control packs come with four weeks worth of pills. The majority of birth control pills include three weeks worth of actual pills (the ones that are preventing you from getting pregnant). The last week, the fourth week, is comprised of placebo pills (but keep in mind that not all pills are made the same. The birth control pills I take, for example, only have five days worth of placebo pills. It might be more difficult to skip like this, since the actual pills end during the middle of the week). They do nothing to you and are basically there just so that you don’t get out of the rhythm of taking a pill at the same time every day. The week you take placebo pills is the week you should be getting your period.

If you decide you want to skip your period one month, all you need to do is skip over that week of placebo pills. In other words, finish off the first three weeks of real pills and instead of taking the first placebo pill, go right into next month’s pack and start with the Day 1 pill. Bam, you just skipped your period!

Sounds super easy, right? Keep in mind, though, that some girls experience spotting during the time they should be getting their period – but this is something that your body will adjust to over time. It’s also important to note that if you’re skipping your period every single month, it’s going to be harder to tell if you accidentally get pregnant. 

I know what you’re thinking: how exactly can this be safe? You’re basically going against nature to prevent your period from happening… and shouldn’t you be getting your period every month? According to MayoClinic, if your doctor says you can take birth control pills, it’s most likely fine for you to also use them to skip your periods. However, it’s important to keep in mind that while a lot of doctors say this is perfectly safe, a lot of other doctors don’t recommend it. 

Skipping your period using birth control pills can come in handy if you’re doing it once in a while. For example, if you have a vacay planned and you don’t want to deal with your period that week, this is a good solution. If you want to skip your period all the time, you should consider maybe switching to another birth control pill – there are some out there where you only get your period about three times a year. Another option is using an IUD – a Gurl staffer who uses an IUD hasn’t had her period in over a year. 

The bottom line is this: skipping your period is possible and it looks like it’s pretty safe. However, I would still suggest talking to a doctor before you do it. Your doctor knows your body better than I do and can tell you honestly if she/he thinks it’s a bad idea.

Have you ever used your birth control pills to skip your period? Would you ever do it? Do you mind getting your period? Would you consider using an IUD? Tell me in the comments.

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