Fooling with Mother Nature and monthly menstruation

It never fails. Just when you’re planning a vacation, a hot date, or a night on the town, your period arrives. Because of centuries of anti-menstrual cycle programming, many women, if given the choice to regulate or eliminate their monthly menstrual cycle altogether, would give a resounding cheer of “Hell Yeah!”

In May of this year, the FDA approved the first and only birth control designed to eliminate women’s monthly periods, called Lybrel. Its manufacturer, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals—one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies—says that it’s the first and only contraceptive pill that provides a steady low dose of hormones so that over time women may become cycle-free.

Is it safe to pack away your endless supply of tampons and sanitary napkins and say “so long” to your menstrual cycle? Do we really need our monthly periods? “Though there may be times in one’s life when this is necessary or desirable, don’t make the mistake of thinking that suppressing menstrual periods chemically is healthy and safe,” Dr. Northrup says. “We simply don’t have this data yet.”

Is it wise to fool with Mother Nature and monthly menstruation? Dr. Northrup doesn’t think so. “The menstrual cycle is one of the most potent ways for a woman to connect with her creativity, sexuality, and lunar nature. We cycle with the moon and tides,” she explains. “Severing this natural, life-affirming connection cuts women off from one of their primary sources of wisdom, magic, and connection to the Universe.”

According to Dr. Northrup, the ability to eliminate menstrual periods is nothing new. “We doctors have been able to manipulate periods with synthetic hormones for decades—ever since the first oral contraceptives were introduced in the 1960s. And even before Lybrel, if a woman wanted to stop menstruating, all she needed to do was take the “active” hormonal pill every single day and skip the “dummy” pills. Periods can also be eliminated with shots of Depo Provera.”

Before you kiss your Aunt Flo good-bye, here are several points to consider about the new oral contraceptive (OC) kids on the market —Lybrel (taken 365 days to eliminate your period), Seasonale (which gives you just a few periods a year), and all the other birth control methods that rely on synthetic hormones:

Increased Cancer Risks

Lybrel and all the other oral contraceptive (and contraceptive patches) use hormones that aren’t native to the female human body. These synthetic hormones have been associated with an increased risk of cervical and breast cancer. In fact, the World Health Organization has classified birth control pills as carcinogenic. (For more information, see page 407 of Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom, Bantam 2006) This risk is very small—and some authorities don’t think it’s significant. Nevertheless, it must be considered.

Lack of Sexual Desire

Who wants a birth control method that makes you dispassionate about having sex? Birth control pills have been implicated in long-term sexual dysfunction because they lower testosterone levels. The lack of sexual desire that results from the drop in testosterone continues even after the pill is discontinued. One other thing: Birth control pills completely eliminate that wondrous mid-cycle wafting of pheromones from your body. These male-attractor, naturally-occurring chemicals make you irresistible to the opposite sex—even if you’re running around in a sweat suit with no make-up. (If you don’t think this is true, check this out for yourself. And ask your girlfriends.)

Fertility Problems

Birth control pills can interfere with the delicate balance between the ovaries and the area of the brain known as the hypothalamic/pituitary axis. In some women, this can result in fertility problems after stopping the pill.

Breakthrough Bleeding

Many women on Lybrel experience breakthrough bleeding (also called spotting). Irregular bleeding often occurs with the Depo Provera shot and Seasonale, too.

Misleading Promises

Lybrel has been marketed to women as a “panacea” for ridding oneself of menstrual difficulties such as bloating, mood swings, and cramps. It has also been publicized as a way to live that’s more convenient for a woman’s husband. Marketing such as this undermines the fact that the menstrual cycle is a normal, healthy part of being a woman. And the vast majority of women don’t suffer during their period. If they do, there are many other effective and safe ways to prevent or relieve cramps and mood swings. And what kind of man would require his wife or mate to chemically alter her body to make her more desirable to him?

Nutritional Deficiencies

Birth control pills are associated with a whole host of nutritional alternations in the body, including an increased need for B vitamins. Too many women are already deficient in these nutrients. The pills can make this situation worse.

“I suspect that over time, we will find that suppressing periods artificially over long periods of time will be associated with increased rates of osteoporosis, infertility, and sexual dysfunction,” Dr. Northrup confirms.

“Think of it like this: The menstrual cycle is like an indicator light on the dashboard of your car. Menstrual difficulties indicate that something is out of balance in your life. Taking Lybrel (or another form of OC) is like shooting out the dashboard light—and convincing yourself that everything is just fine! Given that there are so many other forms of safe and effective contraception, why would you take this risk?”