>>FWIW, the fact of not having a period, in itself, doesn’t seem like it would be a health problem. Women who breastfeed intensively and experience regular pregnancies can go many years without a period.<<
Exactly.
I don’t know though, pumping your body with artificial hormones seems way different to me than the natural ones from pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Certainly the results from use of birth control pills, vs. a natural menstrual cycle, are significantly different. Although it might seem that the symptoms are the same, at the hormonal level it's not the same at all.
A good diet, plenty of vitamins, and lots of vigorous exercise helps with many menstrual-cycle problems.