Can birth control cause fertility issues in long term?

February 8, 2023

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Becoming parents is a dream of many individuals, and with the increasing rates of infertility, women have concerns like can birth control cause fertility issues. Well, the answer is no! The causes of infertility in woman can vary from damaged fallopian tubes to polycystic ovary syndrome and many other conditions but not oral contraception or birth control pills. However, infertility is a serious issue today faced by large numbers of couples and individuals. Around 40-50% of infertility cases occur in women.

The good part is taking birth control does not prevent the ability of a woman to conceive naturally. As per the research, irrespective of the type of birth control pills or the duration that a woman has consumed these medicines it does not have any negative impact on her fertility condition. The reasons for infertility can vary from individual, we would be discussing further everything related to infertility and birth control pills.

Let us walk you through the different factors relating to infertility to address your concern about – can birth control cause fertility issues.

Can birth control cause fertility issues?
How do birth control pills work?
When is it right time to conceive post-birth control?
Myths of birth control
What are the causes of infertility in woman?
What are the fertility treatment options?
Bottom Line

Can birth control cause fertility issues?

The reason for using birth control can vary, but it doesn’t affect the ability to conceive. As the myths around the internet are emerging all around the world, it makes women wonder that can birth control cause fertility issues. We understand your concern, but you don’t need to worry. Birth control does not affect your fertility in long term.

While birth control pills can be used for various reasons. A woman who struggles with hormonal imbalance and irregular periods often are recommended to use oral contraceptives as a treatment.

The myth – can birth control cause fertility issues are so common that women today are skeptical about birth control. The 3-year study of a few participants using birth control found that long-term usage of oral contraceptives or birth control does not cause infertility problems in women.

Whether you use the intrauterine device, vaginal ring, patch, injection, birth control pills, or implant your ability to conceive naturally doesn’t get affected by these methods. If you have been trying to conceive for a year and experienced no positive conception results then you may have infertility or other conditions that aren’t caused by birth control.

How do birth control pills work?

Birth control pills contain hormones like estrogen and progestin and stop the ovulation process temporarily. In addition, it thickens the cervical mucus, which makes it difficult for sperm to travel and fertilize with the eggs.

However, regular use of birth control can affect your menstrual cycle with either partial or complete suppression of normal menses. Hence, when a woman stops taking pills, it will take time to resume ovulation back, but that doesn’t mean you are infertile.

Few women can experience irregular periods due to birth control pills. And, when these pills aren’t consumed regularly she may experience little spotting or in some cases, birth control can lead to post-pill amenorrhea. Though, these pills are also used for balancing hormones and regulating the menstrual cycle. The usage of birth control varies for different purposes, it is better to consult a doctor if you observe any unusual symptoms in your body.

When is it right time to conceive post-birth control?

Whether you have been consuming birth control pills or any other birth control method for 6 months or a longer period, once you stop the birth control you must start your menstrual cycle within 1 or 2 months.

Depending on your conceiving plans, you must decide to stop the pills with the consultation and guidance of a doctor. However, fertility experts recommend to complete the current control pills and then stopping to keep your menses regular in the normal cycle.

Women aged 35 or above, who have been experiencing negative conception results after discontinuing birth control for more than a year then it’s time to consult a fertility or surrogacy expert.

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Myths of birth control

You might be wondering if birth control does not harm fertility then why there are multiple determined myths of birth control? Let us debunk a few famous and most-believed myths regarding conditions after stopping birth control.

Resuming a normal menstrual cycle can take more time

Having a little delay in menstruation and ovulation after stopping birth control is standard. In contrast, many women will have their ovulation back within a month but if you are not getting a regular menstrual cycle for a longer period, for instance, more than 4-5 months then its time to consult a gynecologist or fertility expert to determine any availability of underlying infertility or other condition.

Birth control can cause infertility

Majority of the woman who considers taking birth control are less likely to use condoms during sexual intercourse. While IUDs, condoms, and birth control pills all can prevent you from immediate pregnancy but only condoms can save you from getting a sexually transmitted infection (STI).

If STIs are ignored and untreated like Chlamydia, Gonorrhea can result in fertility problems. While women who are on birth control pills still choose to use condoms to avoid the risk of infection.

Birth control saves prevent unplanned pregnancies, however, couples must ensure to use of condoms to be free from STIs.

The type of birth control matters

This is one of the common myths of birth control, that you shouldn’t believe. As per the research, irrespective of any type of birth control that you use it does not have any adverse effect on fertility problems. Though, some types of birth control are known to improve your fertility condition.

The myths of birth control and other medicines have been rolling around throughout different platforms. This makes women question like can birth control cause fertility issues. Whether it is safe for my body, and if I continue taking different methods of birth control for the long term then will that make me infertile in the future?

One study states that women who have used oral contraceptives for over 5 years or more before trying to conceive a baby naturally are more likely to conceive within 6 months after stopping the birth control pills. Though, researchers say this can be due to the reduction of effects of endometriosis and the improvement of the iron stores in women. In addition, factors like the lifestyle of a woman, her age, and her health overall determine the conception results or fertility condition.

Furthermore, if you are planning to conceive in near future then you must consult a doctor and understand the effects and consequences of stopping birth control with your fertility. If in case you have been struggling to become pregnant with or without birth control methods for a longer time then you must consider consulting a fertility expert.

What are the causes of infertility in woman?

If birth control does not result in fertility issues then what are the exact causes of infertility in woman? The causes of infertility vary from person to person, and it is difficult to pick out one reason. In addition, few couples happen to have unexplained fertility issues, though we have listed below a few common reasons that impact the rising fertility issues internationally.

Underlying infertility with uterus issues

Polyps, fibroids, septums, or adhesions inside the cavity of the uterus. Polyps and fibroids can form at any time whereas septums are present right from birth and adhesions can form after the surgery.

Ovulation issues

The causes of infertility in woman can occur due to irregular ovulation and other problems. While there could be many reasons why a woman may not ovulate regularly, for instance, hormonal imbalance, substance abuse, severe stress, pituitary tumors, thyroid, and more.

Problems regarding egg quality and numbers

A woman is born with all the eggs that she carries throughout her life, though these eggs can reduce right before or during her menopause. Few eggs will have the wrong or lesser number of chromosomes or cannot fertilize with sperm or grow in a fetus. While some of these chromosome issues like balanced translocation may impact the quality of all the eggs. Other issues with eggs become more common as women start aging.

Issues with fallopian tubes

The most common reason for the damaged fallopian tube is a pelvic inflammatory disease often caused by the conditions like Chlamydia and gonorrhea.

So, can birth control cause fertility issues? No, but fertility issues can be caused by multiple factors. It is always recommended to consult a fertility specialist to determine the reason for your inability to conceive.

What are the fertility treatment options?

Once couples discover that they are infertile the next question is what are the fertility treatment options for us? While there are multiple options available, depending on your fertility condition your expert will recommend the best suitable fertility treatment option for you. Let us explore the different successful alternatives to understand what are the fertility treatment options viable for women.

In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF)

IVF process uses one of the most advanced technology and medicines, improving the chances of conception. This treatment is catered to solve women’s fertility issues like lower egg count, damaged fallopian tubes, and more factors.

The procedure begins with prescribing the intended mother a few fertility medicines to kick-start the process of stimulating multiple eggs. Once the eggs are ready, an IVF expert would retrieve her eggs, and meanwhile, the sperm sample of the intended father is collected in an incubator.

Furthermore, both the gamete materials are mixed to form embryos, and when embryos are ready for implantation it is transferred to the intended mother’s womb. After a few days, the intended mother has to undergo a few tests to determine pregnancy results, as she confirms pregnancy she continues the journey like any other pregnant woman.

Gestational surrogacy

Surrogacy is very similar to IVF, as surrogacy uses the medical process of in-vitro fertilization. However, here the embryo transfer procedure is conducted with the surrogate mother. She does not have any biological connection with the child.

In surrogacy, embryos are formed by using the gamete materials of intended parents and or egg or sperm donor (depending on the couple’s fertility issues). Usually, surrogacy is recommended for couples who have experienced multiple failed attempts with IVF, or when a woman cannot carry a baby to term, if intended parents have genetic diseases that have high chances to be transmitted to the baby even then surrogacy can be opted.

Surrogacy includes various factors and stages that intended parents need to complete to successfully conceive a healthy infant. A professional or renowned surrogacy agency like Surrogency can guide you and provide you with a hassle-free surrogacy experience.

Infertility and the inability to conceive has multiple reasons and medical conditions. To give a short answer to your concern – can birth control cause fertility issues? No, infertility issues cannot occur due to birth control but in a few cases, it can lead to certain medical conditions. However, with the advancement in science and technology, you can explore different fertility options if conceiving naturally has been your major struggle.

Bottom Line

Birth control and fertility have no adverse effects to date. So if you are wondering – can birth control cause fertility issues? Then you can be relaxed because fertility issues have various causes and with the research in medicine, conceiving has become possible for every individual today.

If you have been struggling to conceive naturally, it is not because of consistent usage of birth control but the probability of various other health conditions. If you want to know more about fertility and surrogacy, visit our website.

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