Continuous Hormone Pills

Birth Control Pills may be prescribed to be taken in cycles (21 days on, 7 days off), or for 2 cycles (42 days of hormone pills, 7 days off), 3 cycles (63 days of hormones, 7 days off), 4 cycles (84 days of hormones, 7 days off) or continuously. Pills may be prescribed in long cycles or continuously for girls with endometriosis, bad cramps, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), or other reasons. Continuously means that you will be taking one pill that contains the female hormones, estrogen and progesterone, every day. Taking the pill this way helps keep the lining of the uterus very thin. The goal is for you to have no periods. You will not take a week of placebo pills (pills without hormones) and will not have a regular monthly menstrual period. You may have some irregular spotting or bleeding as your body gets adjusted to this new medication, especially in the first six months.

How do I take them?

Take one pill at the same time every day. When you finish one pack of the hormone pills, begin another pack of pills the following day.

If you buy 21-day packs of pills, start a new pack the day after you finish all the pills in your current pack.
If you buy 28-day packs of pills, take the three weeks of hormone pills but not the week of placebo pills (the last seven pills that are a different color). When you finish the hormone pills, throw the pack away and start a new pack the next day.

What if I am bleeding with the continuous pills?

If you are bleeding heavily (soaking a large pad or super tampon more than every 2 hours) and it does not slow down with 4 hours of bedrest or if you are experiencing a heavy menstrual flow (a soaked pad or tampon every 2 or 3 hours) for more than 7 days, you need to call your health care provider.

Am I protected from pregnancy?

Taking the birth control pill continuously does protect you from pregnancy if you are sexually active. Birth control pills do not protect a woman from getting a sexually transmitted disease. So it is very important to also use a condom when having sexual intercourse.

What else do these pills do?

Birth control pills not only prevent pregnancy, but they also have quite a few medical benefits. Many teen girls take the birth control pill just for its medical benefits and not for its protection against pregnancy.

Oral contraceptive pills can help to decrease menstrual cramps. Because oral contraceptive pills prevent ovulation, they also get rid of pain that you experience with ovulation in the middle of your menstrual cycle. Oral contraceptive pills can provide the body normal amounts of estrogen to help protect the bones. Oral contraceptive pills also can reduce the amount and length of menstrual bleeding. Oral contraceptive pills may be prescribed to treat moderate to severe acne, which over-the-counter and prescription medications can't cure.

Because there is less menstrual bleeding with the use of oral contraceptive pills, you are less likely to get anemia (low number of red bloods, which carry oxygen from the lungs to the tissues). Oral contraceptive pills decrease your chance of getting endometrial (lining of the uterus) cancer and ovarian cancer, and ovarian cysts. So the pill has lots of health benefits!

Written by the Center for Young Women's Health Staff

Updated 5/12/2005

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