21 Days Between Scheduled Periods*

Number of periods per year: 13

Scheduled bleeding days per year: 91

So you are interested in birth control pill options that allow you to have at least 21 scheduled period-free days between your periods. This option results in 13 periods per year. While most women have roughly 28-day cycles, some actually have shorter cycles – so increasing the length of time between their scheduled periods to at least 21 days might be right for them.

If you already have 21 days between your periods and would like to lengthen the time, check out the other available options.

Approved pill dosing options:

21 days of active therapy followed by 7 days of inactive therapy during which a woman has her period. This is often called a 21/7 regimen.
This is a conventional dosing regimen and there are many combined birth control pill options available today that are designed so that you have at least 21 days between your scheduled periods. Alesse*, TriCyclen Lo* and Yasmin* are some examples of available 21/7 birth control pill products.

*Alesse is a registered trademark of American Home Products Corporation, USA.
*Yasmin is a registered trademark of Bayer Schering Pharma AG, Germany.
*Tri-Cyclen Lo- is a registered trademark of Johnson & Johnson, USA.

How do oral contraceptives work?

Birth control pills are greater than 99% effective if taken as directed. To learn more about the efficacy and safety of 21/7 contraceptive options and how they work to prevent pregnancy, click here.

Is it okay to lengthen the time between your scheduled periods?

The short answer is yes. To learn more about your period and understand more about why it is okay to take birth control options that lengthen the time between your scheduled periods to at least 21, 24 or 84 days, click here.

Where can I get a 21/7 oral contraceptive?

If you’re interested in taking a 21/7 oral contraceptive, you’ll need to visit your doctor to get a prescription. Your doctor can help you determine if a 21/7 oral contraceptive is right for you.

*Combination oral contraceptives are designed in a way that you should not expect to have your period while taking active therapy and expect to have your period while taking placebo pills. Some women may find that their periods are actually shorter than the number of placebo days, while some women may find that they are still menstruating for the first couple of days after they resume taking active therapy. Some women may also find that they have some bleeding or spotting when they take active pills. This is generally transient and is not part of your planned or scheduled period. Some women may also find that their period stops all together (amenorrhea). Women who experience amenorrhea are still protected from pregnancy and their periods typically return to normal once they stop taking therapy.

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