Editing Menstruation (section)

==Menstrual suppression==
{{Main|Menstrual suppression}}

===Due to hormonal contraception===
{{Main|Hormonal contraception}}
[[File:pillpacketopen.jpg|thumb|right|Half-used blister pack of a combined oral contraceptive. The white pills are [[placebos]], mainly for the purpose of reminding the woman to continue taking the pills.]]
Menstruation can be delayed by the use of [[progesterone]] or [[progestin]]s. For this purpose, oral administration of progesterone or progestin during cycle day 20 has been found to effectively delay menstruation for at least 20 days, with menstruation starting after 2–3 days have passed since discontinuing the regimen.<ref name="Goldstuck2011">{{cite journal | vauthors = Goldstuck N |title=Progestin potency – Assessment and relevance to choice of oral contraceptives |journal=Middle East Fertility Society Journal |date=1 December 2011 |volume=16 |issue=4 |pages=248–253 |doi=10.1016/j.mefs.2011.08.006 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

[[Hormonal contraception]] affects the frequency, duration, severity, volume, and regularity of menstruation and menstrual symptoms. The most common form of hormonal contraception is the [[Combined oral contraceptive pill|combined birth control pill]], which contains both [[estrogen]] and [[progestogen]]. Although the primary function of the pill is to prevent pregnancy, it may be used to improve [[Combined oral contraceptive pill#Non-contraceptive use|some menstrual symptoms and syndromes which affect menstruation]], such as [[polycystic ovary syndrome]] (PCOS), [[endometriosis]], [[adenomyosis]], [[amenorrhea]], [[Dysmenorrhea|menstrual cramps]], [[menstrual migraine]]s, [[Heavy menstrual bleeding|menorrhagia]] (excessive menstrual bleeding), menstruation-related or fibroid-related anemia and [[dysmenorrhea]] (painful menstruation) by creating regularity in menstrual cycles and reducing overall menstrual flow.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.youngwomenshealth.org/med-uses-ocp.html|title=Medical Uses of the Birth Control Pill|last=CYWH Staff|date=2011-10-18|access-date=1 February 2013|archive-date=5 February 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130205071228/http://www.youngwomenshealth.org/med-uses-ocp.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="auto">{{cite journal | vauthors = Curtis KM, Tepper NK, Jatlaoui TC, Berry-Bibee E, Horton LG, Zapata LB, Simmons KB, Pagano HP, Jamieson DJ, Whiteman MK | display-authors = 6 | title = U.S. Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive Use, 2016 | journal = MMWR. Recommendations and Reports | volume = 65 | issue = 3 | pages = 1–103 | date = July 2016 | pmid = 27467196 | doi = 10.15585/mmwr.rr6503a1 | doi-access = free }}</ref>

Using the [[Combined oral contraceptive pill|combined birth control pill]], it is also possible for a woman to delay or eliminate menstrual periods, a practice called [[menstrual suppression]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Delaying your period with birth control pills|url=http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/womens-health/WO00069|publisher=Mayo Clinic|access-date=20 September 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110926085226/http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/womens-health/WO00069|archive-date=26 September 2011|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Some women do this simply for convenience in the short-term,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/830.aspx?CategoryID=60&SubCategoryID=179|title=How can I delay my period while on holiday?|publisher=National Health Service, United Kingdom|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110805003602/http://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/830.aspx?CategoryID=60&SubCategoryID=179|archive-date=5 August 2011|url-status=live|access-date=20 September 2011|df=dmy-all}}</ref> while others prefer to eliminate periods altogether when possible. This can be done either by skipping the placebo pills, or using an [[extended cycle combined oral contraceptive pill]], which were first marketed in the U.S. in the early 2000s. This continuous administration of active pills without the placebo can lead to the achievement of amenorrhea in 80% of users within 1 year of use.<ref name=":4">{{cite journal | vauthors = Strandjord SE, Rome ES | title = Monthly Periods--Are They Necessary? | journal = Pediatric Annals | volume = 44 | issue = 9 | pages = e231–e236 | date = September 2015 | pmid = 26431242 | doi = 10.3928/00904481-20150910-11 }}</ref>

=== Due to breastfeeding ===
{{main|Lactational amenorrhea}}
[[Breastfeeding]] causes negative feedback to occur on pulse secretion of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and luteinizing hormone (LH).<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK148970/ |title=Infant and Young Child Feeding |date=2009 |publisher=World Health Organization |language=en |access-date=12 August 2022 |archive-date=19 January 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180119051121/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK148970/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Depending on the strength of the negative feedback, breastfeeding women may experience complete suppression of follicular development, follicular development but no ovulation, or normal menstrual cycles may resume.<ref name="mcneilly">{{cite journal | vauthors = McNeilly AS | title = Lactational control of reproduction | journal = Reproduction, Fertility, and Development | volume = 13 | issue = 7–8 | pages = 583–590 | year = 2001 | pmid = 11999309 | doi = 10.1071/RD01056 | df = dmy-all }}</ref> Suppression of ovulation is more likely when suckling occurs more frequently.<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite book | vauthors = Kippley J, Kippley S | year=1996 | title=The Art of Natural Family Planning | edition=4th | publisher=The Couple to Couple League | location=Cincinnati, OH | isbn=0-926412-13-2 | page=347}}</ref> The production of [[prolactin]] in response to suckling is important to maintaining lactational amenorrhea.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Stallings JF, Worthman CM, Panter-Brick C, Coates RJ | title = Prolactin response to suckling and maintenance of postpartum amenorrhea among intensively breastfeeding Nepali women | journal = Endocrine Research | volume = 22 | issue = 1 | pages = 1–28 | date = February 1996 | pmid = 8690004 | doi = 10.3109/07435809609030495 }}</ref> On average, women who are fully breastfeeding whose infants suckle frequently experience a return of menstruation at fourteen and a half months postpartum. There is a wide range of response among individual breastfeeding women, however, with some experiencing return of menstruation at two months and others remaining amenorrheic for up to 42 months postpartum.<ref>{{cite web | title = Breastfeeding: Does It Really Space Babies? | work = The Couple to Couple League International | publisher = Internet Archive | date = 17 January 2008 | url = http://www.ccli.org/nfp/ebf/spacebabies.php | access-date = 21 September 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080117232155/http://www.ccli.org/nfp/ebf/spacebabies.php |archive-date = 17 January 2008}}, which cites:

:{{cite journal | vauthors = Kippley SK, Kippley JF | title = The relation between breastfeeding and amenorrhea: report of a survey | journal = JOGN Nursing; Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Nursing | volume = 1 | issue = 4 | pages = 15–21 | date = November–December 1972 | pmid = 4485271 | doi = 10.1111/j.1552-6909.1972.tb00558.x | ref = none }}
:{{cite journal | vauthors=Kippley SK|title=Breastfeeding survey results similar to 1971 study | journal=The CCL News | date=November–December 1986 | volume=13|issue=3 | page=10|ref=none}}
:{{cite journal | vauthors=Kippley SK|title=Breastfeeding survey results similar to 1971 study | journal=The CCL News | date=January–February 1987 | volume=13|issue=4 | page=5|ref=none}}</ref>