General Chat

The contraceptive pill can be taken every day of the month, new NHS guidance says as scientists have successfully dismissed the original seven-day break brought in so "the Pope would accept it" as natural.

New guidelines from the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare (FSRH), who set key national guidelines for the safe prescription of contraceptives, highlight that there is no health benefit to the traditional seven-day break in taking the combined contraceptive pill and scientists say the change will prevent more unwanted pregnancies.

The gynaecologist John Rock devised the break hoping that the Pope would accept the pill and thus make it acceptable for Catholics to use.

There's been the 'continuous' versions around for some years.

There's also an injection preferred by many shift workers. That is effective for 3 months. Apparently, some of the oral contraceptives have to be taken at the same time each day. Difficult if the female is working or, such as an airline employee, crossing time zones.

All the same, interesting to know the reasoning behind the original 7 day gap. I'd thought it was to give the body a time to dispose of surplus chemicals.

"Abstinence has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and not tried!" (GK Chesterton.)

I don't know about the Pope. I always understood that it was so that women would think it was normal, because when you stopped taking it there was withdrawal bleeding.

My sister, who was a nurse, always said that this was unnecessary, and that most nurses took it without a break until they wanted to start a family. (When it first came out it was only available to married women!)

In the early days of the pill, sports competitors not wanting a period during a competition often carried on taking the pill for more than the earlier-recommended three weeks on, one week off, delaying the period until after the competition.

Andy's Mum is right about availability to married women only in the early days.

So, it appears this isn't a 'revelation' to us women! :-D :-D :-D

Typical!

All those stupid women who never asked questions ....


And now have to listen to men telling us all about it. :-P

Mansplaining at it's best :-D

I often took the pill continuously, especially if we were going on holiday.

Yes, we all knew about that we could do that!

Quite often though, if you did it too often and went back for a prescription too early, the doctor (usually male) didn't like it!

...a fine example of men ruling women's bodies and actions. :-|

well, we were living over here, prescription was written for a year as 3 months supply and 3 refills. Dr could never remember exactly when he'd written the last prescription!

Mr Owl and I have been together for 3 years since the 16th and I have her taking the pill constantly for quite a while as neither of us is ready to be parents yet and are taking all precautions with no side effects.

Tawny, Charles Burr 1842 - 1926, Leighton Buzzard.

I took the pill continuously whilst living in a tent for 6 months.
A period, let alone a baby, was the last thing I needed!! :-|

Interesting little tidbit from back then (at least I think it's interesting :-D ) ...........

OH and I got engaged just before Christmas, he then left England at the end of February with the plan of returning briefly for our wedding in August.

I went to my family doctor in about April to ask if he would give me a prescription for the pill so I could see if I had any side effects while still in the UK and on his register. He said No.

I, being the thickie I sometimes am, didn't understand, and said "But I thought we had to get a prescription from our doctor?"

"Yes, but I am Catholic and don't believe in using the pill for birth control. However, I will prescribe it for what it was originally intended to be used for .............. problems with periods and ovarian problems."

He then said "I am willing to give you a 2 month prescription because you have had problems in the past, but you will have to see my partner if you want a new prescription."

Obviously unsaid by him, was the fact that my fiance was out of the country and I wasn't therefore to use it as birth control.

I duly returned to see his partner in June to get a year's prescription, explaining that I'd had no problems with the one I had been trying. He looked at my file, and then said ..........

"I see you had an examination last year and you were found to have cystic ovaries. Now I must tell you that there is some evidence that that could be connected to infertility problems. If and when you want to start a family, you must not try for any longer than a year before seeking help. However, there is also some evidence that going on the pill also helps remedy the problem."

He left it at that, and gave me the prescription.

The only thing that the specialist had said the previous year was that he would normally recommend removal of my ovaries, but would not because I was only in my 20s and still unmarried. No mention of infertility problems.

As it happened ...... the pill worked its magic for me, though I had to later come off it about 3 years after my daughter was born because I got some potentially dangerous side effects.


But in that conversation is the fact that using the pill as birth control was actually secondary to the original intent when it was first introduced, which was correcting ovarian and uterine problems so that women could get pregnant!