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More women blocking periods

More and more women are using birth control pills or other hormonal contraceptives to block their menstrual periods, and experts say it will become even easier with the expected arrival of the first continuous-use birth control pill on the US market.

Doctors say that blocking menstrual periods is especially popular among young women and those entering menopause, the Associated Press reported.

The majority of doctors don't believe that suppressing menstruation is any more risky than regular long-term use of birth control. One survey found that most doctors have prescribed contraception to prevent periods and two recent US national surveys found that about 20 percent of women have used oral contraceptives to halt or skip their period, the AP reported.

However, there's a need for caution because there's not enough data on the long-term consequences of continuous use of hormones, said Linda Gordon, a New York University professor who specialises in women's history and the history of sexuality. – (HealthDayNews)

Visit our Woman Centre for more information.

May 2006

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