Effects on Fertility

Many people who are looking to start birth control are hesitant because they're worried they might lose fertility when they're done and want to family plan. However, I'm here to tell you not to worry and look at the facts!

In a research study conducted in 2002, their conclusion was that hormonal contraceptives actually improve fertility slightly compared to women who have taken it for a shorter period of time. The data to back this shows that women who have taken birth control anywhere from 3 years and on have a conception percentage of 88-89% within the first 12 months after stopping contraceptive use. This is 3-4% higher than women who have never taken birth control, but equal to women who have only taken it for less than a year to 2 years. This study was conducted for over ten thousand women with no under represented time duration category. Some bias in the reports include the lack of monitoring on which forms of birth control where used for each women such as pill, implant, IUD or others. This is important because birth control types such as injectables are proven to extend fertility return 6 months later than expected.

It's important to weigh options when choosing which birth control is right for you, but you can now rest assured that your choice won't affect your future choices or family planning.

For more information visit these sources below.

(1) Huff, M. B. (2009). Family Planning: A Global Handbook for Providers. Journal of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology, 22(2), 135–135. Link.

(2) Farrow, A., Hull, M. G. R., Northstone, K., Taylor, H., Ford. W. C. L., & Golding, J. (2002). Prolonged use of oral contraception before a planned pregnancy is associated with a decreased risk of delayed contraception. Human Reproduction, 17(11), 3009-3009. Link

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