

Not sure what a withdrawal bleed is? Want to know how long a withdrawal bleed lasts? Well you’ve come to the right place! Withdrawal bleeding is a confusing topic, and only recently have more of us on the pill even realised that they aren’t the same as your typical period. Here’s everything you need to know about withdrawal bleeds…
Withdrawal bleeds happen when you take a break from the combined pill, vaginal rings, patches or injections that often work on three-weekly cycles. When you stop taking your contraception your body experiences a drop in hormone levels. The drop in hormones causes your body to produce period blood and mucus.
Withdrawal actually refers to this drop in hormones. Contraceptive pills stop the uterine lining thickening, meaning that withdrawal bleeds typically feel lighter than our general periods and can even cause no bleeding or just light spotting.
Contrary to popular belief, withdrawal bleeding is not necessary. You can continue to take your contraception as normal without monthly breaks. Many opt to have withdrawal bleeds, so they know that they are not pregnant.
For more information, read our blog on the differences between menstrual bleeding and spotting.
Pills, patches & vaginal rings can all cause withdrawal bleeding as they all contain the same hormones, oestrogen and progestogen. Other contraceptives such as a copper coil (IUD) do not contain these hormones, so you won’t experience a withdrawal bleed, however if you’re on the Intrauterine System (IUS) you may experience light periods (or a stop all together) as the progestogen is provided constantly with no break, but are not classed as withdrawal bleed.
Fun fact: when contraceptive pills first arrived, it was thought that women (or rather their husbands, religious institutions et al) would find the concept of ‘the pill’ more palatable if it mimicked a regular menstrual cycle, so it was manufactured to include a withdrawal bleed. However, there’s a lot more choice nowadays and some contraceptives continuously release hormones which gently reduces your period or even makes them disappear altogether.
Most will find that they experience fewer premenstrual symptoms with withdrawal bleeding than a regular period, however you may still encounter the usual suspects: headaches, cramps, cravings, water retention, mood changes etc but on a less intense scale. Remember, a lot of contraceptives have been (rightly or wrongly) prescribed as pain relief for severe period symptoms.