| No tampons, no super-sized maxi pads, no | | | | offered the opportunity to control their own |
| cramps... Any Pamprin-pressed woman could rant | | | | bodies, but what are the real implications?" |
| off endless positives of a period-stopping birth | | | | Moreover, Elson finds that menstruation has |
| control pill. Yet, is this new menstruation vanishing | | | | transformed from a biological issue into a social |
| drug safe and can it still provide acne protection? | | | | matter and proposes that women, "... might not |
| What is "period-stopping" Well, first the period | | | | find their periods so inconvenient if schools and |
| ending contraceptive called Lybrel does not really | | | | workplaces provided opportunities for people to |
| stop the period"period-stopping" | | | | rest." |
| Well, first the period ending contraceptive called | | | | Like Elson, Margaret Freda a professor of |
| Lybrel does not actually stop the period. As the | | | | obstetrics and gynecology and women's health at |
| Association of Reproductive Health Professionals | | | | Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York |
| points out, birth control induced period stopping is | | | | City, has doubts about menstrual suppression. This |
| really "menstrual suppression". The body's | | | | past August, Freda told the American Journal of |
| response to the seven day absence of birth | | | | Nursing, "The jury is still out on total menstrual |
| control hormones after the typical 21-day birth | | | | suppression," until long-term studies of its safety |
| control cycle triggers withdrawal bleeding, not a | | | | are done. |
| true period. | | | | A study published in Contraception examined the |
| Regardless of its name, this week's Food and | | | | safeness of continuous daily usage of Lybrel on |
| Drug Administration approval of the period | | | | over 2,000 healthy women who had normal |
| skipping contraceptive spawned enough | | | | menstrual cycles. Among the participants, Lybrel |
| unanswered questions about safeness to fill a | | | | side-effects were comparable to those reported |
| month of morning talk shows. | | | | for 21-days on and 7-days off oral contraceptive |
| Lybrel Period suppressing Lybrel comes in a 28 | | | | regimens. |
| day-pill pack. The pills contain 90 micrograms of a | | | | However, Dr. Camelia Davtyan, an assistant |
| progestin, levonorgestrel, and 20 micrograms of | | | | professor of medicine at the University of |
| an estrogen, ethinyl estradiol. These active | | | | California, Los Angeles, did find one problem with |
| ingredients are similar to and work like other FDA | | | | the study. Davtyan told HealthDay News that, "... |
| approved contraceptives. Except, you skip the | | | | the rate of uterine bleeding-related complications is |
| placebos. Levonorgestrel stops the body's | | | | quite high." |
| monthly release of an egg from the ovary and | | | | Granted some woman have practiced menstrual |
| thickens cervical mucus which makes it harder for | | | | suppression for years, it could take five to |
| sperm to fertilize an egg. | | | | twenty years before medical studies ultimately |
| Lybrel and acne control | | | | concur on the overall safeness of this practice. In |
| Besides preventing pregnancies, Lybrel can also | | | | the meantime, women will once again need to rely |
| elicit an acne preventing effect. The ethinyl | | | | on their intuition and personal health needs to |
| estradiol component of the pill can reduce | | | | decide what is the best way to prevent pimples |
| circulating levels of testosterone and ultimately | | | | and pregnancies. |
| limit facial oil secretion- one of several factors | | | | Sources: |
| implicated in provoking acne. But how will | | | | Archera, David F et al. Evaluation of a continuous |
| menstrual suppression using Lybrel effectively | | | | regimen of levonorgestrel/ethinyl estradiol: phase |
| treat acne? | | | | 3 study results. Contraception; December 2006, |
| A study sponsored by Lybrel manufacturer | | | | vol 74, no 6, pp 439-445. |
| Wyeth does support the acne preventing power | | | | Association of Reproductive Health Professionals. |
| of levonorgestrel and ethinyl estradiol. But, | | | | Health Matters: Understanding Menstrual |
| ironically, possible side-effects of levonorgestrel | | | | Suppression. October 2006. |
| include oily skin and acne. If you do experience | | | | HealthDay News. New Year-Round Contraceptive |
| acne while using an contraceptive containing | | | | Pill Safe and Effective. December 13, 2006. |
| levonorgestrel, inform your doctor, because | | | | Potera, Carol & Maureen Shawn Kennedy. |
| commonly prescribed acne antibiotics like | | | | Choosing Not to Menstruate: A trend for adults |
| tetracycline can make levonorgestrel less | | | | and some adolescents. Is it safe? American |
| effective. | | | | Journal of Nursing; August 2006, vol 106, no 8, pp |
| Further study on menstrual suppression needed | | | | 19. |
| While the words "stop your period" may sound | | | | Thiboutot, Diane. A randomized, controlled trial of |
| melodious to millions of women, to University of | | | | a low-dose contraceptive containing 20 g of |
| New Hampshire professor of the sociology of | | | | ethinyl estradiol and 100 g of levonorgestrel for |
| gender and medical sociology Jean Elson, they | | | | acne treatment. Fertility and Sterility; September |
| sound more like the prelude to a horror movie. | | | | 2001, vol 76, no 3, pp 461-468. |
| Elson feels, "Employing hormones to curtail normal | | | | University of New Hampshire. Expert: New Birth |
| menstruation strikes me as a very odd mix of | | | | Control Pill That Eliminates Periods Is A Bad Idea. |
| feminism and medical authority women are | | | | Newswise; May 22, 2007. |