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Birth control pill FAQ: Benefits, risks and choices

Do I need special pills or can I use ordinary birth control pills to prevent having a period? If I plan to have a baby, how soon after stopping the birth control pill can I conceive? Can I get pregnant during the week of nonactive (placebo) pills? Can women older than age 35 continue taking birth control pills? Content Can I use birth control pills to delay or stop my period? To prevent having a period, can I use ordinary birth control pills or do I need special pills? If I plan to have a baby, how soon after stopping birth control pills can I conceive? Is there an advantage to waiting a few months after stopping the pill before trying to conceive? What happens if I stop taking the birth control pill and my period doesn't come back? Will a pregnancy test be accurate if I'm taking the birth control pill? What happens if I take birth control pills while pregnant? Can I use several birth control pills at once for emergency contraception? Does how much I weigh reduce the effectiveness of emergency birth control pills? I have taken birth control pills for years and want to stop. Can I stop at any time or should I finish my current pill packet? Can I get pregnant during the week of inactive pills? Do birth control pills cause weight gain? How do birth control pills affect cancer risk? Do birth control pills affect cholesterol levels? Do birth control pills affect blood pressure? What is the risk of blood clots when taking birth control pills? Can I continue taking birth control pills if I'm older than age 35? Can antibiotics decrease the effectiveness of birth control pills?

Do I need special pills or can I use ordinary birth control pills to prevent having a period?

There are birth control pill regimens designed to prevent bleeding for three months at a time or for as long as a year. But it's possible to prevent your period with continuous use of any birth control pill.

This means skipping the placebo pills and starting right away on a new pack. Continuous use of your birth control pills works best if you're taking a monophasic pill — with the same hormone dose in the three weeks of active pills.