Pregnancy worries
Does birth control cause infertility?
Quick answer
No. Fertility returns without a significant delay after stopping the pill, implant or IUD.[src] The injectable (DMPA) is the one exception: it can delay fertility for up to about a year, but it does not cause permanent infertility. When someone struggles to conceive afterwards, the cause is usually age or a condition the method was hiding, not the method.
Why the "nakakabaog" myth will not die
"Baka mabaog ka" is one of the most common things Filipinas hear from relatives when they start pills, and on r/AskPinay people describe worrying for months after stopping.[src] The evidence does not back it up: hormonal methods stop ovulation only while you use them, and the pill, implant and IUD leave no lasting effect on the ovaries or womb.[src] So why does the story feel true to so many people?
- Timing and age. Many people start the pill in their late teens or 20s and stop in their 30s to try for a baby. Fertility falls with age whether or not you ever used birth control, so the years on the pill get the blame for the calendar. [TODO: source: age-related decline in female fertility (ACOG or NHS)]
- Normal waiting time. Even with no fertility problem at all, most couples do not conceive in the first month or two. A few months of trying feels long when you expected it to happen right away.
- Someone you know had the injection. DMPA really does delay things, and that experience gets applied to every method.
Basahin sa Taglish: Nakakabaog ba ang pills?
What birth control can hide
Combined pills give you a monthly withdrawal bleed (The bleed during the inactive or break days of a pill pack. It is not a true period.) that looks like a period even if your own cycle is irregular. When you stop, the real pattern shows up again. Conditions such as PCOS or thyroid problems may have been there all along. The pill did not cause them; it just covered the signs. If your periods were irregular before you started the pill, expect them to be irregular after.
Birth control also does not protect your fertility from sexually transmitted infections. Untreated chlamydia and gonorrhea can damage the fallopian tubes. [TODO: source: WHO or CDC on STIs and tubal infertility] Only condoms lower that risk, which is one reason to keep using them with new partners. See condoms.
The DMPA exception
After the last shot of Depotrust or Lyndavel, fertility can take up to about a year to return.[src] That is a delay, not damage. If you plan a pregnancy within the next year or two, a pill, implant or IUD lets you switch off more precisely. More in how long Depo takes to wear off.
When to see a doctor
- You are under 35 and have been trying for 12 months without a pregnancy.
- You are 35 or older and have been trying for 6 months.
- Your periods have not come back 3 months after stopping the pill or implant, or 12 months after the last DMPA shot.
- You have very irregular periods, severe period pain, or a past pelvic infection.
[TODO: source: NHS or ACOG guidance on when to seek fertility help (12 months, or 6 months at 35 and over)] A health center, OB-GYN or teleconsult doctor can start basic checks.
Frequently asked questions
Nakakabaog ba ang pills?
Hindi. Bumabalik ang fertility nang walang malaking pagkaantala pagkatapos itigil ang pills, implant o IUD. Ang turok (DMPA) lang ang puwedeng magpaantala, hanggang mga isang taon, pero hindi ito permanente.
Does taking the pill for many years make infertility more likely?
No. Patient.info's summary of UK guidance says fertility returns without a significant delay after stopping the pill. Age, not years on the pill, is the bigger factor.
Can an IUD make me infertile?
No. Fertility returns quickly after an IUD is removed. If you develop pelvic pain, fever or unusual discharge with an IUD, see a provider promptly, since infections should be treated early.
This guide is for information. Talk to a doctor before starting, stopping or switching birth control.