It's safe for some people to stop their periods completely, and it may even be beneficial, some doctors say

• Dr. Sophia Yen hasn't had a period for 11 years. She's promoting a movement called #PeriodsOptional.
• Experts say that placebo birth-control pills aren't necessary and that people can safely skip periods.

At 43 years old, I'm 75% of the way through my 2,300 days of menstruating. Until getting pregnant at 41, I had skipped only three monthly periods since I started at age 13. I grew up in a culture with an entrenched belief that not having a period means there's something inherently wrong with you.

That's not true, according to Dr. Sophia Yen, a pediatrics professor at Stanford University who's also the CEO of Pandia Health, a birth-control-delivery company.

"There are no toxins that you're getting rid of with a bleed," Yen, who hasn't had a period in 11 years, told Insider. "This incessant bleeding is unnatural. It's actually more natural to have fewer periods."

The absence of a period, or amenorrhea, doesn't necessarily mean someone is pregnant - it can also indicate stress, a lack of nutrients, too much exercise, or hormonal issues.

Amenorrhea can also be elective, and some doctors, like Yen, are eager to help people wanting to suppress their periods, saying that skipping your period could decrease the risk of certain cancers and other physical and mental obstacles. Detractors say menstruating is natural and doesn't need to be permanently "turned off."

Experts say it's becoming more common to manipulate cycles

Since the pill was approved in 1960, gynecologists have recommended period suppression to alleviate certain medical conditions such as endometriosis, ovarian cysts, and uterine fibroids.

And manipulating cycles with the pill for certain events - a wedding, an athletic event, a beach vacation - has become more common, experts told Insider.

There are other reasons someone might want to stop a period.

"We see teens who are questioning their gender identity and some who are not questioning but feel they're in the wrong body and for whom their menstrual cycle causes dysphoria and distress," said Dr. Paula Hillard, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Stanford University. For them, menstrual suppression may be medically appropriate, she said.

You can stop your period with birth control

The reason people take a week of placebos while on the pill in the first place is that Dr. John Rock, the co-inventor of the pill, argued that having a monthly period was most natural, The New Yorker reported.

His proposed cycle of three weeks on the pill and one week off became the status quo when the Food and Drug Administration approved the pill in 1960.

Sixty years later, Yen has made it her mission to make it easier for people to stop or lighten their periods and promote #PeriodsOptional as a "movement."

"You can start turning off your period two years after your first period. If you start earlier, you could lose an inch or two of height" she told Insider.

A period can be suppressed permanently or temporarily by skipping the placebo pills and continuing to take the birth-control pills. Those using methods like the ring or the patch can replace them in week four instead of going without.

Doctors say it's safe to not only minimize but wipe out periods, along with the acne, mood swings, and painful cramps they can cause. "If it's safe to use the pill at all - and it is - then it's safe to manipulate the cycle," Hillard said.

Parents considering birth control for their teens frequently ask Hillard whether periods can return after disappearing for several months (or even years), and Hillard is quick to reassure them. "There is good evidence that the pill does not cause infertility," she said.

But these hormonal regimens don't work perfectly from the start - there can initially be some breakthrough bleeding. "There are no treatments that stop periods like turning off a faucet," Hillard said.

Skipping periods could reduce the risk of ovarian cancer

Turning off periods by continually using hormonal birth control could also lessen a person's chance of anemia, endometriosis, and even certain cancers.

"We know that the only way to decrease your risk of ovarian cancer is to turn off the eggs from popping out every single month for five years, and that will decrease your risk of ovarian cancer by 50%," Yen said.

The thickening of the uterine lining can also have negative effects. "Prolonged thickening of the uterine lining increases the risk of endometrial cancer, and birth-control pills prevent this and are thus associated with a lower risk of this cancer," Hillard said. Decreasing the number of times the uterine lining thickens over a person's lifetime can decrease their risk of developing endometrial cancer.

Some experts have safety concerns. The Society of Menstrual Cycle Research, a volunteer organization composed of interdisciplinary researchers, has said that "menstruation is not a disease" and that "further research on the potential health risks and long-term safety of cycle-stopping contraception is still needed."

Jessica Barnack-Tavlaris, a professor of psychology at the College of New Jersey and outgoing SMCR secretary, said movements like #PeriodsOptional also reinforced menstruation stigmas.

"We're socialized in a culture that stigmatizes menstruation, and we're not typically taught to pay attention to, think about, or report any positive aspects of it. We're hyperfocused on the negative aspects," Barnack-Tavlaris told Insider.

While missing a period can still be a sign of a significant health issue, Yen says it can also be a choice that frees a person from mental and physical obstacles.