Great question. In short, the answer is no, there are no harmful effects or complications with taking the Pill long term, assuming you are in good health (apart from the normal side effects/risks associated with taking the combined oral contraceptive pill, like Yasmin, which your gynae should already have explained to you from the start).
A bit of interesting background – when the Pill was first introduced over 50 years ago, the inventor of the combined contraceptive pill realised that it would be more readily accepted by both women and the Church, if there was a “break” from taking the Pill for women to still have a monthly “menstrual bleed”.
Hence, the suggested usage of 21 days of taking the Pill, 7 days off (your 7 remaining pills in the pack are actually placebos that do not contain active ingredients – this is the “break”).
There’s no medical, scientific or physiologic reasoning behind this suggested usage at all – it was simply to encourage more acceptance amongst the general public for the following reasons:
- Continuing to have a monthly bleed would seem more “normal” to the public
- Women back then relied on their monthly periods as evidence that they were not pregnant. Home pregnancy kits were not readily available 50 years ago. The only way to test for pregnancy in the 1960s was to make a doctor’s appointment, give a urine sample, and wait up to two weeks for the results.
It’s also worth noting that the bleeding you experience during the 28 day pill cycle is not actually a normal menstrual period (which is due to shedding of your womb lining).
It’s a withdrawal bleed (which is due to changes in hormone levels).
As you have experienced, it’s normal to experience delayed periods if you’ve been on the pill for a long time, and have recently stopped taking it. A delay of two to three months before having a period is not unusual.
There could be other causes for a delayed period:
- Pregnancy
- PCOS
- Weight loss
- Stress
- The Pill was masking pre-existing irregular periods etc
– so it’s important to mention this to your gynae.
Most importantly, you and your doctor will need to rule out pregnancy – I’d suggest for you to take a pregnancy test at the soonest.
You’ll be at risk of pregnancy throughout this period that you’re off the Pill as well, so do use alternate contraception (eg. condoms). Some women can immediately conceive after they stop taking the pill.
As a final word, I note that you do not intend to have children. If that’s the case, (and especially if you already have children), it may be worth discussing with your gynae alternative contraception options, which may be more suited for your lifestyle and health requirements.
Cheers
