The Benefits Of Keeping Your Period

If you ask the average person what a period does, they'll probably say something along the lines of "It's part of the menstrual cycle," or "It's part of getting ready to possibly become pregnant," or "Why are you asking me this?" Well, let's ignore the last one and just look at the first two.

Yes, getting ready for possibly being pregnant is all well and good. But unless you get your period really late, you're going to be way too young to be pregnant when your period starts. And what if you're asexual, like me, or you're just not interested in having a child? You might be tempted to think (and I'm guilty of this too) "I don't need a period! I don't want to get pregnant right now (or ever), so what's the point? Why shouldn't I just take birth control pills and stop my period from happening?"

Well, besides being part of getting ready to possibly become pregnant, periods are also a sign that your body is working right. If you're pregnant, stressed, exercising too much, eating too little, or having hormonal issues, your period might stop to let you know that something is wrong. If you stop your period by taking birth control pills, then you might not know it if something is wrong.

Also, birth control pills work by flooding your body with artificial hormones. Honestly, that's not very good for you, and it might mess up your hormone levels even more than your period normally would.

In addition, the risks for breast cancer, cervical cancer and liver tumors are slightly increased if you take birth control pills. They can also increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and brittle bones.

So, as much as you may hate your period (and I sure do), putting up with it is better than possibly missing an important sign from your body, or getting cancer, right?

Sources:

• http://www.beinggirl.co.uk/article/period-menstrual-cycle-menstruation-facts/
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menstrual_cycle
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hormonal_contraception
• http://www.webmd.com/sex/birth-control/features/no-more-periods
• Personal experience
• My mom