“hocndoc” brings up some good points, as have those who mentioned they take the regular dosage birth control pills continually, instead of having the week off.
The health risks from the replacement of the natural cycle with artificial hormones shouldn’t be appreciably greater with continual use than with episodic use.
And there are some benefits for those with certain conditions, which the individuals have to weigh against the risks.
All I know is I wish this would have been available while I was younger. The thought of no miserable periods sounds like Nirvana to me. Hope this pans out to be a trouble-free choice for women to make. For those that don’t want to take the risk, fine. For those that do, go for it. I would have, had it been available to me at the time I could have used it.
It’s the reason why I went through with the hysterectomy. Artificial hormones are not the same as what your body produces. You’re right, in women with problems, weighing the option is the way to go. But suggesting an artificial hormone to stop periods because they are inconvenient, may be taking a totally unnecessary risk.