How to stop or delay your period
Medically reviewed by Dr Aifric Boylan — FRACGP · AHPRA-registered · Last updated 5 Aug 2026
- A doctor assesses whether delaying a period is suitable for you.
- Same-day appointments, 7 days a week.
- $29.99 consultation, same-day appointments 7 days. Once prescribed, your eScript goes to your phone, or straight to your pharmacy if you prefer.
How to stop or delay your period
- Online assessment and prescription to delay your period for a holiday, wedding, exam or special occasion, by an AHPRA-registered Australian doctor via video consultation.
- Works best when planned ahead: treatment usually starts about 3 days before your period is due, so book as soon as you know the timing clashes- subject to assessment.
- $29.99 consultation, same-day appointments 7 days. Once prescribed, your eScript goes to your phone, or straight to your pharmacy if you prefer.
Telehealth isn’t suitable for every situation. Period delay tablets are not a contraceptive and won’t prevent pregnancy, and they may not be advised if you could be pregnant or have certain issues in your medical history, such as previous blood clots. Your doctor will assess what’s safe for you and can also discuss alternatives, such as running contraceptive pill packets together, where appropriate.
How to stop your period
- Sometimes a menstrual period will be due at an inconvenient time- a special occasion, a holiday, a wedding or a university examination. It is possible to delay a period by a few weeks, until the timing is better.
- If you’ve ever wondered how to stop your period, there are a few ways this can be achieved- a course of oral progesterone tablets is commonly used, though the contraceptive pill or long acting contraceptives are alternative options, if started well in advance.
- For any of these options, you’ll need to speak to a doctor to discuss treatment, and make sure this is safe and suitable for you.
- Any Questions? Need a longer appointment? Book in for a general GP consult (for $49.99) HERE
Is online treatment to delay a period suitable for me?
Telehealth isn’t suitable for every situation. Period delay tablets are not a contraceptive and won’t prevent pregnancy, and they may not be advised if you could be pregnant or have certain issues in your medical history, such as previous blood clots. Your doctor will assess what’s safe for you and can also discuss alternatives as required.
Common questions & answers
Same-day consultations are available 365 days a year, with priority booking if you’re in a hurry. Once the doctor approves treatment, your eScript can be on your phone or at your chosen pharmacy within minutes. Just remember that period delay tablets work best started about 3 days before your period is due, so it’s worth booking as soon as you know the dates clash.
No. A video consultation with a doctor is required before period delay tablets can be prescribed. The doctor checks that the tablets are safe for you, since they aren’t suitable for everyone, and confirms the timing that will work for your event. A questionnaire alone isn’t enough, and services that issue prescription medication without a real consultation don’t meet Australian standards.
The video consultation is $29.99, including the doctor’s assessment and, where appropriate, a prescription sent as an eScript to your phone or pharmacy. Repeats are available, subject to assessment. The cost of the medication itself is subject to your chosen pharmacy’s pricing, or added at checkout if you choose delivery through a partner pharmacy. The doctor may instead advise that treatment isn’t suitable for you, which is the right medicine even when it means no script that day. No Medicare is needed for the appointment itself, but providing these details will enable eScripts and PBS prescriptions where required.
When a big event like a wedding or holiday crops up, and your period is due at the same time, it can be very frustrating- it may affect how you feel physically and mentally, what activities you can take part in, and what clothes you can wear. In such situations, women quite often come to their doctor to ask how to stop a period from occurring. So, what are the options and do they work? There are actually a few, depending on the circumstances, the time-frames involved, your preferences and medical history. The three main ways are a progesterone tablet that you just take for a few weeks, the combined oral contraceptive pill, or a long acting contraceptive option. The last two options obviously need to be arranged well in advance, whilst a progesterone tablet can be started just before the expected period. Speak to a doctor to discuss your options.
In most cases your ability to become pregnant returns the moment a contraceptive medication is stopped or withdrawn. However, in the case of the long acting progesterone injection or “Depo injection”, it can take quite a few months for the effects to wear off, and the return to fertility can be delayed for a number of months.
Period delay information and guides
Learn more about delaying a period and the contraceptive-pill considerations that may affect your options.
Medically reviewed by Dr Aifric Boylan
Co-founder, CEO & Medical Director of Qoctor — doctor-owned telehealth since 2016.
Every Qoctor prescription is considered only after a real-time video or phone consultation with an AHPRA-registered Australian doctor — never from an automated online form. Treatment is provided in line with the Medical Board of Australia’s telehealth guidelines.
Telehealth is not suitable in all medical situations — patients will be advised if an in-person assessment is needed. In an emergency, call 000.