Delay ng mens habang nag-pi-pills: no period on the pill

What the evidence says

The NHS notes that changes to your periods are common on the pill ^[src]. The bleed you get during the inactive, iron or break days is a withdrawal bleed (The bleed during the inactive or break days of a pill pack. It is not a true period.), caused by the drop in hormones, not a true period. On the pill your womb lining stays thin, so sometimes there is very little or nothing to shed. That is not harmful, and blood does not build up inside.

Filipinas ask about this often, for example being on the third placebo pill of Yaz and still not getting a period ^[src]. It is one of the most common worries on the pill.

Why it happens

• Low-dose pills. Pills with 20 mcg of estrogen, like Yaz (drospirenone + ethinylestradiol) and Lizelle (drospirenone + ethinylestradiol), more often give light or absent bleeds.
• Months on the pill. The lining gets thinner over time, so bleeds often get lighter.
• Stress, illness, travel or weight change can also change your bleed.
• Pregnancy is possible if pills were missed, taken late, or you vomited soon after a pill ^[src].

What to do

1. Think back over the last pack. Did you take every hormone pill on time? Any vomiting or diarrhoea?
2. If yes, every pill on time: pregnancy is unlikely. Start your next pack on schedule, even with no bleed.
3. If you missed pills, or this is your second missed bleed in a row: take a pregnancy test, and still start your next pack on time unless a doctor tells you otherwise.
4. Use the late period on the pill tool to work through your situation step by step.

When to take a pregnancy test

The NHS says a home test is most reliable from the first day your period would be due, or at least 21 days after unprotected sex if you do not know when that is ^[src]. On the pill, "due" means the end of your break or inactive week. Our when to take a pregnancy test tool works out the date for you. A test is cheap and available without a prescription; see pregnancy tests in the Philippines.

If the test is negative and you took your pills correctly, carry on. If it is positive, stop the pill and see a doctor or your health center.

Brands people mention

Yaz comes up most often in these threads, as you would expect from a 20 mcg pill ^[src]. People on Trust (levonorgestrel + ethinylestradiol) also ask why they had no bleed during the brown iron-pill week. The iron tablets have no hormones, so the same rules apply. If missing bleeds makes you anxious every month, talk to a doctor; a different pill can give more regular bleeds.