Several women and girls in Kabul say that every year during the month of Ramadan, they use tablets that delay their menstrual cycle so they can fast throughout the entire month. They add that completing the full fast during Ramadan is very important to them, which is why they resort to this method. According to them, using these tablets, particularly the contraceptive pill known as “Khushi,” is one of the cheapest and most accessible ways to avoid interruptions in their fasting.
Some of these girls, speaking to the Hasht-e Subh Daily, say they have done this on the advice of a doctor, while others say they made the decision based on recommendations from married friends. They add that they have not experienced any side effects from using these tablets so far, and that they have limited awareness of the potential side effects of these tablets.
Maryam, a resident of Kabul, says that for several years she has been using the Khushi contraceptive pill to fast throughout all the days of Ramadan. According to her, this is the simplest method available to her for delaying her menstrual cycle. Despite being educated, this young woman pays little attention to the potential risks of these medications.
Maryam says: “A few years ago, when I was studying at university, we would talk among friends about the menstrual cycle and the difficulties it brings. One of my friends, who had recently gotten married, told us to use the Khushi pill, saying it delays the period and allows you to fast throughout Ramadan. Since then, for two or three years now, I have been using these tablets during Ramadan and fasting more comfortably.”
She adds that she has not experienced any side effects from using the tablet so far. She says: “The only thing I have felt is a bit of irritability, and I have had no other problems. These tablets must be taken at a specific time; if the timing changes, the period may start earlier. In my opinion, this method is good because you can fast all the days of Ramadan, and whenever you want, you can stop taking the tablet and the period begins again.”
Shamsia, another resident of Kabul, says that because her menstrual cycle repeated too frequently, she used contraceptive tablets to delay it. She adds that she did so on the advice of a gynecologist and obstetrician.
She says: “One of the reasons I did this was that my body was becoming weak, because sometimes my period would come both at the beginning and at the end of Ramadan. For this reason, I used the tablets on the advice of a gynecologist. Because I did it under a doctor’s guidance, I did not experience any serious problems. There are various reasons why some women use these tablets; one of them is that they do not want to miss the days of the holy month of Ramadan due to their period. Some women do this with a doctor’s advice, but others use these tablets based on others’ experiences, without being fully aware of the consequences.”
Meanwhile, some doctors say that the use of contraceptive tablets by girls to stop or delay their menstrual cycle can carry serious health risks. According to them, unsupervised use of these tablets may cause irregular periods, abnormal bleeding, hormonal changes, and long-term effects on the ovaries. Doctors emphasize that these medications should only be taken under specialist supervision and with full awareness, and that any unsupervised use can endanger women’s health.
Samira Shahir Rahimi, one of the doctors, says that using contraceptive tablets to stop or delay menstruation during Ramadan or the Hajj pilgrimage can lead to certain illnesses and health complications among women. She adds that women and girls should not use these medications on their own without guidance. According to this doctor, before prescribing these medications, doctors assess the patient’s health condition and then determine the appropriate type and dosage of medication according to the body’s specific needs.
Dr. Rahimi further states: “Some women use contraceptive and hormonal tablets during the Hajj pilgrimage or Ramadan to prevent menstruation, whether on a doctor’s advice or without it. These medications, particularly those that contain estrogen and fall under the category of combined oral contraceptives, can temporarily stop or delay menstruation; however, they may also bring side effects such as irregular subsequent menstrual cycles, nausea, migraine headaches, breast tenderness and pain, breast enlargement, mood changes such as irritability and emotional sensitivity, and in some cases, disruption to blood circulation and the risk of blood clotting or thromboembolism.”
This doctor emphasizes that women over the age of 35, those who are obese or have high blood pressure, or those with a history of thromboembolism should not use these medications without consulting a doctor.
Benafsha Arifi, another doctor, says that short-term interruption of the menstrual cycle generally does not cause serious problems; however, prolonged use of medications that alter this natural process can, over time, create conditions for the development of certain illnesses. She adds that repeated use of these medications may disrupt the body’s hormonal balance and cause various health problems.
She says: “In the short term, if a woman or girl does not have any systemic illnesses, serious problems generally do not arise; however, long-term use of these medications can lead to hormonal imbalance, an increased risk of high blood pressure and diabetes, a tendency for blood clotting, and mood changes.”
This doctor advises girls not to unnaturally alter their body’s natural processes merely for the sake of fasting, and not to put their health at risk. She adds that the changes these tablets cause in the body are not always easily reversible, while women can make up their missed fasts at a later time as a debt to be repaid.
Menstruation, or the period, is one of the natural processes of the female body that occurs regularly based on its structure and function. During this process, each month, if the egg is not fertilized, the inner lining of the uterus breaks down and is expelled from the body through the vagina along with blood.
According to Islamic law, women who experience their menstrual cycle during Ramadan are not permitted to fast and must make up the missed fasts at another time as a debt to be repaid. Nevertheless, several women use tablets that delay the menstrual cycle so that they can fast without interruption throughout the entire month.
Doctors, however, warn that the unsupervised use of these medications can bring health complications for women.
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
تأخیر عادت ماهانه برای روزهداری؛ استفاده دختران کابل از تابلیتهای ضدبارداری و هشدار پزشکان
