Knoxville (WVLT) - A first-of-its kind birth control pill, called Lybrel, could stop a woman's menstrual cycle indefinitely.
The FDA is expected to announce approval for it Tuesday.
Analysts are predicting a tremendous demand, because it has the added effect of suppressing a woman's period altogether and can be taken continuously.
It eliminates a woman's period for as long as she takes it.
Lybrel, which is manufactured by Wyeth, is the first pill that can be taken continuously.
Standard birth control pills contain 21 daily active pills and seven birth control pills, in order to reflect a woman's monthly period.
"I think it's important to remember that when you use a birth control pill, the period that you have is not a real period, it's a hormonal induced period, so there's no reason why we can't use those birth control pills to control when we induce the period,” says Dr. Emily Evitt, Parkwest Women's Specialists
If Lybrel is approved, it will be the fourth approved drug which affects the menstrual cycle.
Surveys indicate an increasing number of women want to control, and have the option of limiting, their monthly periods.