The claim that “birth control causes infertility” is very misleading. Of course, birth control causes temporary infertility by preventing pregnancy, but many studies show that there are no long-term effects on infertility due to birth control. The claim links a study that researches people’s fear around infertility and birth control, but does not provide any data or statistics on the actual matter at hand. In the other study linked by Fort Hayes State University, they quote, “Women who have used oral contraceptives over a long period of time have shown an increased prevalence of infertility and/or spontaneous abortion versus those who only used them for a short period of time (Girum and Wasie, 2018). After discontinuation of oral contraceptives, hormones are disrupted and directly affect the menstrual cycle, thus increasing the risk for infertility and/or spontaneous abortion (Hahn et al., 2015).”
To counter these points, a study performed by Columbia University found that about half of women get pregnant within the first three months of stopping birth control, and most women get pregnant within 12 months after stopping. The amount of time in which a person can get pregnant once going off birth control depends on the type of birth control. Progesterone-only methods include the pill, the implant, and the shot. The implant has the lowest time, with people getting pregnant as soon as it is removed. The pill may take up to three months. The shot has the longest time, where one might have to wait 3-18 months. With the IUD, one can get pregnant as soon as one menstrual cycle after getting it removed. Barrier methods such as the diaphragm, cervical cap, male condom, female condom, and spermicidal foam, sponge, gel, suppository, and film, one can get pregnant after the first time having intercourse once it has been removed.
https://www.columbiadoctors.org/health-library/article/getting-pregnant-after-stopping-birth-control/
Hormonal contraceptives simply prevent one from ovulating, which means an egg does not get released each month. Once those hormones are removed, the body will begin releasing an egg again, depending on what point in the cycle one stops. From PNW Fertility: “Studies show that for people trying to conceive after stopping birth control, around 83% successfully get pregnant within a year. This matches general pregnancy success rates, regardless of past birth control usage
https://pnwfertility.com/2022/12/30/how-soon-can-i-get-pregnant-after-stopping-birth-control/#:~:text=In%20general%2C%20hormonal%20contraception%20prevents,begin%20ovulating%20again%20within%20days.
Again from the Cleveland Clinic, Dr. Cremer states that birth control could hide factors that cause infertility, such as PCOS, endometriosis, and irregular periods, but birth control is not the cause of these issues. One may not experience symptoms of these issues until they go off birth control, but these issues can occur for a myriad of reasons unrelated to the birth control itself. “In very rare instances, an IUD can become embedded into the tissue of your uterus or cause scarring. But even if this happens and the IUD has to be surgically removed, Dr. Cremer says it’s very unlikely this will lead to infertility.”
It can take up to two weeks for the hormones from birth control to leave one’s body, so it could be smart to wait for contraception for a short period of time.
The claim is very misleading as there is no factual or medical proof that birth control causes infertility, and it is actually very safe and helpful to many.
