Hormonal contraceptives, such as the pill, hormonal IUD, vaginal ring or injectables, are used by millions of women worldwide to prevent unwanted pregnancies or for family planning. They are also used to treat gynecological conditions such as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) or endometriosis. It is normal to wonder whether their use could affect your fertility in the future.
Can contraceptives affect ovarian reserve?
One of the most common fears is that contraceptives will diminish ovarian reserve and make conceiving more difficult once you stop taking them.
Fortunately, scientific evidence indicates that the birth control methods do not deplete oocytes or accelerate ovarian aging.
What does happen is that it may take some time for the menstrual cycle to become regular after stopping, especially if a woman had irregular cycles before starting taking the contraceptives.
This recovery time for regular ovulation will vary depending on the type of birth control used:
- Birth control pill: It is usually restored within a few weeks, although in some women it may take up to 3-6 months.
- Hormonal IUD: It may take a few months for the endometrium to return to normal thickness and cycles to become regular.
- Hormonal injectables: In these cases, the wait is usually longer, sometimes up to a year after the last injection.
Factors that do have an influence
Having ruled out the use of contraceptives as a factor which affects future fertility, it is important to note that age, general health and the presence of underlying gynecological problems may do so. Some women discover fertility problems after stopping birth control not because they caused them, but because the hormonal methods actually masked signs of previous pathologies.
Birth control planning
The use of contraceptives does not cause infertility in the long term, but it is advisable to plan ahead to stop using these methods if you wish to become pregnant. If after several months your cycles are not regulated or there are difficulties in conceiving, you should consult a specialist to study the case.