Does birth control cause infertility?

Question

The NDTV article focuses on how U.S. influencers are spreading misinformation about birth control on platforms like TikTok. They promote unscientific claims about infertility and health risks, which can confuse women and dissuade them from using effective contraceptive methods. The Piedmont Healthcare article explains that birth control does not cause infertility and helps manage conditions like endometriosis. It debunks myths by noticing that fertility typically returns to normal shortly after discontinuing contraception, regardless of how long it was used. 

Both articles emphasize the importance of relying on medical experts, not influencers for accurate reproductive health information. 

Answer 1

There is no evidence that birth control causes infertility, in fact it can even help suppress endometriosis.("Endometriosis is a disease in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus. It can cause severe pain in the pelvis and make it harder to get pregnant.") Another rumor mentioned in this article is that birth control will negatively affect your sex drive. While that is true for some, it’s not true for most, and for some it even increases. Most studies also disagree with the notion that birth control causes weight gain. While maybe gaining a couple pounds in the first few months is a possibility for some, it’s temporary water weight.

Source for birth control not causing infertility

Source for birth control not causing weight gain

Source for birth control's affect on sex drive

Answer 2

False.

NDTV World article discusses how US social media influencers are spreading misinformation about birth control pills. Tiktokers like Naftali Moses and Candance Owens claim that the birth control pill changes your sexual behavior and preferences and causes infertility problems, with many calling it the “divorce pill.” According to Planned Parenthood, the most common side effects after starting the pill are nausea, spotting, changes in one’s menstrual cycle, and headaches – all short-term. The more serious side effects like blood clots, cardiovascular issues, and liver tumors only impact one in a thousand people. Healthline explains that while some people may experience a delay in fertility after discontinuing hormonal birth control, it typically stabilizes and returns in a few months to one year. Infertility is frequently caused by old age, being under or overweight, or having an untreated sexually transmitted disease.

Comments

This fact check does a good job of explaining how this article is false due to the fact that the article is spreading false information. Studies show that birth control only stays in your body for a short amount of time. While the drug is in your system, it causes your menstrual cycle to stop and your fertility levels to go down. Once you stop taking it, your body will return to its normal state and your fertility levels will return to its normal state. It is a false statement to say that birth control causes infertility permanently.

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This response does a good job of debunking the true meaning of the article, which is that influencers are spreading rumors that are not backed by science about the side effects of birth control, and does not mean that these claims are true. Planned Parenthood is a scientific, peer-reviewed source that publishes information that is easy for the general public to understand, so it is a trustworthy source to debunk this claim. I also liked that you included the true side effects of birth control from Healthline.com.

Answer 3

The article discusses various pieces of misinformation spread about pregnancy and birth control. The myth that birth control causes infertility is included in the article along with several others. The genesis of these myths seems to stem from the pro-life movement attempting to stigmatize birth control to reduce the numbers of terminated pregnancies.

https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/how-us-influencers-are-spreading-misinformation-about-birth-control-5649978

Answer 4

this article does not state any actual facts in it, just rumors and bits of information on what influencers are doing/saying. A large majority of the information in this article is hearsay, extremely biased, or plane false. Both WebMD and Planned Parenthood site that there are no major side effects to birth control, only minor ones such as spotting, nausea, headaches, and sore breasts. "The pill could cause minor symptoms, especially in the first few months of starting it" (WebMD.) There is no mention of anything regarding birth control causing permanent infertility or any other claim made in this ndtv article.

Answer 5

There is insignificant information to prove that birth control directly leads to infertility. In fact, Columbia University Irving Medical Center states that "You can get pregnant right away after you stop regular-dose or low-dose hormonal birth control. About half of women get pregnant in the first 3 months after stopping the pill." Additionally, researchers from Oxford Academic said that it is often lifestyle factors, such as smoking, that have contributed to infertility, not necessarily birth control or birth control alone. 

From my experience on the internet, specifically TikTok, I have found that misinformation, like this claim about birth control, can easily be spread, especially by people who have had bad experiences with it. However, this does not verify that birth control is the reason women cannot get pregnant.    

https://www.columbiadoctors.org/health-library/article/getting-pregnant-after-stopping-birth-control/ 

https://academic.oup.com/humrep/article/17/10/2754/607778

Comments

Nice job on this fact check! I like that you both used trustworthy sources to prove the claim false but also personal experience on the internet showing how personal opinions spread on the internet are not always factual and can affect claims like this.

Answer 6

The claim, “Does Birth Control Cause Infertility?”, is false. NDTV’s article includes statements advising against the pill from U.S. “wellness” influencers on social media. Their statements lack medical evidence to back up their claims about the contraceptive. A study conducted by Boston University School of Public Health finds that the opposite effect occurs and that long-term usage of oral contraceptives is linked to a higher chance of pregnancy (BU School of Public Health). Coauthor, Elizabeth Hatch explains how fertility can be reduced in the first menstrual cycles upon stopping oral contraceptives yet, “after that, monthly fertility rates are comparable to those of women stopping other methods of contraception” (BU School of Public Health). It’s important to verify medical claims that nonmedical professionals present.