Travel Tip for Women

[Tanya]

My best suggestion to other women travellers who are on birth control pills is to take them continuously. Now I know that this will spark a bunch of controversy, but it is my personal view that I would rather not be bothered with such monthly duties while on a trip. Remember to count your pills carefully before you go so that you pack enough. Of course, talk to your doctor to see if this is right for you.

[martij]

Depending on the birth control you are currently on.. if it is a low dosage, continuously taking it may not stop you from continuing on your normal cycle.

Seasonelle is a birth control designed to be taken for about 80 days and then you have a week off of it and then you can start taking it again. It's great for those travelling for an extended period of time.

[Coralie]

A bit of info on this, seasonelle is the exact same thing as the regular birth control, just advertised to be taken continuously and as such is sold at a bit of a higher price. Taking any birth control continuously is possible as long as it is a signal dosage (ie not tri-cyclen or a similar) and contains no sugar pills (or just skip these), it can even be done with the patch or the intra-vaginal ring. However, it doesn't work for everybody, so I suggest doing a, umm, "dry" run back home before leaving for a trip to ensure no surprises while away. Also, be aware that because everything in our system changes when we are away (ie, food exposures, activity level, hydration status, etc.) for some this will also affect their cycle (irregardless of birth control method/continuity). Also, as a last bit, the birth control pill (patch and ring) all increase the risk of developping a blood cloth in your legs, and, there is some research that shows that this increase is even more present when taking the pill (patch or ring) continuously (not a good thing when risk is already increased due to dehydration and air travel).

[bexhole]

Hiya, i have the Implanon implant......3 years period-free travels!
doesn't work for eveyone though :0(
x

[Zuleika]

it doesnt work for the tri-cyclic - ie the 3 different strengths represented by 3 different colours. Your period will come as normal.
Get the implant would be my advice.

[kris_nyc]

Ortho Evra, the patch, is great. You don't have to worry about the time change and figuring out what time you need to take the pill. You just change it once a week, and (per my dr's advice) they can be safely used continuously to skip or reschedule your period.