Does Birth Control Affect Fertility? – Cleveland Clinic

You have been using hormonal contraceptives for years, perhaps decades, and it has done its job. increase. You may wonder if your birth control will affect your body’s ability to shift into baby-making mode.

Can birth control make you infertile? The short answer is no.

‘Using hormonal birth control won’t affect your ability to have babies in the future,’ says women’s health expert Miriam Kremer, M.D.So why the myth that contraception causes infertility? Dr. Kremer helps clean the air.

Does contraception affect fertility?

What exactly is infertility? infertility means that you have been trying to conceive for a year but are not pregnant (pregnant). But that doesn’t mean you can’t get pregnant.

there are many causes of infertilitylike that:

• Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)a hormonal imbalance that often prevents ovulation.
• Uterine fibroida benign (noncancerous) tumor growing in the endometrium.
• endometriosisa condition in which uterine tissue grows outside the uterus.
• low sperm counta condition in which the ejaculate contains less sperm than usual.
• Other health problems such as infections, tumors and autoimmune diseases.
• unexplained infertilityif the health care provider cannot determine why you are unable to conceive.

What’s not on the list? Hormonal contraception.

“I talk to a lot of people who are concerned about this,” says Dr. Kremer. “But hormonal birth control doesn’t affect fertility.”

Birth control can mask other health problems that affect fertility, such as irregular periods and symptoms of PCOS and endometriosis. In fact, contraception is often the cure for these health problems, explains Dr. Kremer.

So while you’re on the pill (or patch or shot, or whatever your hormonal birth control method of choice), it may seem like everything is working fine. You may not know if it’s coming or if you’re in pain from endometriosis until you stop using birth control and try to conceive.

Is there a contraceptive method involved?

hormone contraception Contains one or more hormones. Some methods include estrogen and progestin, while others include only progestin. Some are short-acting, such as oral contraceptives. Some are long-acting, such as injections, intrauterine devices (IUDs), and implants.

Hormonal birth control options include:

• Birth control pills (estrogen and progestin).
• Contraceptive injection (Depo-Provera®) (progestin only).
• Implant (Nexplanon®) (estrogen and progestin).
• Patches (Xulane® and Twirla®) (estrogen and progestin).
• Vaginal rings (NuvaRing® and Annovera®) (estrogen and progestin).
• Hormonal IUDs (Mirena®, Kyleena®, Liletta® and Skyla®) (progestins only).

None of these contraceptive methods will make you infertile or adversely affect your ability to conceive in the future.

“When birth control is out of your system, fertility is restored,” says Dr. Kremer.

How long does birth control stay in your body?

It takes a week or two for the birth control hormones to leave your body after you take off your birth control pills or stop taking the pill. This is true for any type of hormonal birth control, except shots (more on that later).

Depo-Provera shots and fertility treatment

With contraceptive injections (Depo-Provera), it may take a considerable amount of time for your body to start ovulating after the last injection.

“Shots give you a high dose of progestin, which is intended to prevent pregnancy for 12 or 13 weeks,” explains Dr. Kremer. It can take anywhere from three months to two years or more to return.”

It doesn’t take long for anyone, but it’s possible, she adds.

IUD and fertility treatment

Ann intrauterine device (IUD) is a small T-shaped device that your healthcare provider inserts into your uterus. It can stay for years and is a very effective method of birth control.

Can an IUD cause infertility?

“This seems to be what people are most worried about,” notes Dr. Kremer. “But if the IUD is fitted correctly, it will not lead to infertility later on.”

Very rarely, an IUD can become embedded in the tissue of the uterus or leave scars. But even if this happens and the IUD has to be surgically removed, Dr. Kremer says it’s highly unlikely this will lead to infertility.

Choosing an Appropriate Contraceptive Option

“The important thing to know is that there are many contraceptive options,” says Dr. Kremer. Whether you prefer hormonal or non-hormonal birth control, there is something for everyone.

Your healthcare provider can help you if you have questions about birth control or want to switch.

Stop birth control when you are ready to conceive

If you want a baby, you’ll have to stop birth controlof course.

you don’t have to do anything special contraceptive cleansing. When don’t wait Any period of time between stopping contraception and attempting to conceive.But it’s a good idea to do some steps prepare your body for pregnancy.

This includes things like:

Planning a pregnancy is a good time to visit your healthcare provider. Together, talk about your health history, medications, and anything else that can affect your ability to conceive and have a healthy pregnancy. can do.

and if you’ve been trying to get pregnant If you’ve been unsuccessful for a year (or 6 months if you’re over 35), it’s time to talk to your gynecologist. They can talk with you about various fertility options to help you conceive.