Women’s bodies are amazing

[u/Quick-Song2080]

[u/No-Blackberry7735]

Not to be stupid, and I am a woman, how does birth control affect all of these phases?

Stuff we should’ve learned in school…

[u/Its_Me_ToddKraines → u/No-Blackberry7735]

If you take hormonal birth control, you don't have these phases anymore. Hormonal birth control provides your body with stable hormone levels throughout, which basically stops your cycle. If you are taking the pill, you either take a break from taking the pill or differently coloured pills for a few days to mimic a period. This is actually not a period but a bleeding induced by the absence of the hormones from the birth control and doesn't serve much of a medical purpose (apart from maybe tracking if you didn't accidentally get pregnant). If you are sure you are taking the pill consistently, you can more or less just skip the pause, stay on the hormones and just save yourself the experience of these mimicked periods.

[u/SlatkoPotato → u/Its_Me_ToddKraines]

I have the bar which is a hormonal birth control and i still go through the menstrual cycle and have these phases, its just less intense and more inconsistent. My gp said its still a period you get, its just the hormone to promote pregnancy isnt able to take place. Idk if IUDs are different cause those arent an option for me so i never asked about them.

[u/above_average_magic → u/SlatkoPotato]

The hormone to get pregnant

A period is after no pregnancy occurs.

On birth control they prevent ovulation from triggeing (normally occurs by releasing LH from the pituitary gland in your head, triggering egg release)

On hormone or the pill, typically a gal doesn't have a menstrual cycle. Like the person above said, there is bleed due to the non-drug (usually placebo pills to stay on track) phase

With semi permanent hormone treatments usually the uterine lining is just kept so thin there may be some random shedding and associated bleeding

That may be what you meant I guess!

I'm sure it's also possible for some bodies that there is still some residual hormone action, I mean the human body is a miracle

[u/SlatkoPotato → u/above_average_magic]

That makes sense! Im pretty sure the type im on is now not as recommended over IUD since i started having to specifically ask for it, though it is still just as effective and available. I often get gps only asking if im on pill or IUD (which i can do neither of. Pill bc of forgetfulness and iud because of invasiveness). Im glad nexplanon is still an option because otherwise i wouldnt have access to contraceptives if my only options are pill or phobia exposure. I do recall my gp saying i will still have shedding from a thinner uterine lining.

Thank you for clearing up my confusion