Byline: ANASTASIA STEPHENS
JUST imagine if you could take a drug that cut your risk of reproductive cancers and gave protection against conditions such as endometriosis, fibroids and period pain. On top of that, it had the added advantage of keeping your stomach flat and allowed you to choose exactly when you wanted your period - or even if you wanted one at all.
If such an amazing drug existed, wouldn't you, along with thousands of other women, be rushing out to buy it?
Well, in fact, this wonder-drug does exist and is probably already in your handbag - because it's the contraceptive Pill.
Doctors and gynaecologists are increasingly subscribing to the view that taking the Pill back-to-back may be beneficial to health, preventing both cancer and gynaecological problems.
Blocking periods also means no monthly bloating, period pains or depression. You can cut periods to twice a year and plan them around your holidays.
There are some caveats, of course. Not all women can use the Pill continuously. If you're over 35 and a smoker, you shouldn't use oral contraceptives at all. The same applies for women at high risk of a heart attack, blood clot or stroke, or with high blood pressure or diabetes. And no woman should use the Pill to skip periods without the supervision of a doctor.
But not surprisingly, news of the benefits of 'period suppression' is spreading fast. Periods are becoming optional, and women Nayelli Soule, 27, who has been extending her cycles for the past nine months, has had only one bleed this year.
'I used to suffer horrendous period pains,' says Nayelli, a researcher who lives in North London. 'Sometimes the cramps were so bad that I'd end up being sick.
'Eventually the doctor suggested I use Paper Bag Printing the Pill to suppress my menstrual cycle. I get no monthly pain or cramping, my stomach stays flat and I don't have to worry about being stranded in embarrassing situations.
It's fantastic.' LUCY FENHURST, 28, an engineer from Dorset, also extends her cycles.
'I've been extending my cycles for two years and now have about three periods a year,' she says.
'I'm virtually always covered against pregnancy and it's convenient for my job. Sometimes I get flown out to oil rigs, which aren't the kind of place you want your period.
'It's so easy to do. I really don't understand why more women aren't doing this.' She has a point. For women who suffer excessive monthly bleeding, or PMS, suppressing menstruation is a virtual cure. For those with endometriosis abnormal growth of womb tissue - it can effectively reduce abdominal pains.
While using the Pill in this way
isn't currently approved, doctors can recommend it on a discretionary basis.
The vast majority of women are advised to follow the advice given on the Pill's packaging - to take daily doses for 21 days, followed by a seven-day rest period.
But many physicians say there is no reason why women should not opt for longer cycles and fewer periods by taking active pills for longer.
'It is safe for a woman to take Pill packets back-to-back,' says Dr Geeta Nargund, medical director of the Centre for Reproductive Medicine at St Georges NHS Trust, London.
'In theory, a woman could take the Pill every day for a year without having any problems. You are saved