Skipping the pill-free interval: data from a Dutch national sample.

INTRODUCTION

A monthly pill-free interval is unnecessary and many women prefer to have fewer bleeding episodes.

METHODS

Eight hundred eighteen oral contraceptive pill (OCP) users reported frequency of skipping the pill-free interval in the online 2011 Sexual Health in the Netherlands Survey. Demographics of women who skipped pill-free intervals regularly were compared to those of women who rarely skipped intervals.

RESULTS

73% of the women have ever skipped pill-free intervals and 38% do so regularly. Women of Dutch or Western origin and non-religious women skip intervals more frequently, but differences are small.

DISCUSSION: Skipping pill-free intervals is common, even when it is not actively promoted.

IMPLICATIONS: Women who use OCPs can and do skip pill-free intervals, either with or without consulting a physician. If bleeding preferences were structurally discussed with patients, the number of women who skip intervals may increase even further.