My wife was on "The Pill" for quite a few years, way back when. There were no ill effects for her, and it kept her period short and regular. She took the pill for 21 days and the placebo for 7 days in each cycle, taking the placebo keeps you on the schedule of taking the pill everyday, and it should be made into a routine like with any other medication. It took a couple of months after she stopped taking the pill before she got pregnant.