India, March 16 -- Birth control pills are commonly used to regulate hormones, prevent pregnancy, and help maintain a predictable monthly cycle. For many people taking the pill, the bleeding that occurs at the end of each cycle is often assumed to be a regular menstrual period. However, what many do not realise is that this bleed may not actually be a true period at all. So if it is not a natural menstrual cycle, what exactly is happening in the body during that week?

Dr Kunal Sood, an anaesthesiologist and interventional pain medicine physician, is breaking down the mystery behind the often-misunderstood placebo week in birth control pills. In an Instagram video shared on March 15, the physician explains that the bleeding people experie...