Fact Check: Can Birth Control Make You Infertile?

Many women considering hormonal birth control worry about its side effects, including the potential impact on fertility. A common fear is that taking birth control for an extended period could lead to infertility or difficulty conceiving later in life. Fortunately, this is a myth. 

There is a lot of fearmongering around birth control, and while it’s valid to have concerns over a medication’s safety and side effects, scientific research shows that hormonal contraception doesn’t affect your future fertility. In fact, for most women, fertility returns to normal shortly after stopping birth control.

Let’s break down how hormonal birth control methods work, what happens to your fertility when you stop taking it, and why this myth is a popular belief.

Understanding hormonal birth control

Hormonal birth control methods prevent pregnancy by altering the body's natural reproductive processes. While birth control prevents pregnancy while you’re on it, it doesn’t prevent pregnancy later in life (after discontinuing use). Knowing how each method of birth control works is key to understanding why it won’t affect your chances of conceiving in the future. 

The most common types of hormonal contraception include:

• The pill: Combined oral contraceptives — AKA, the pill — contain synthetic versions of estrogen and progestin, which work together to suppress ovulation (prevent the ovaries from releasing eggs), thicken cervical mucus, making it difficult for sperm to reach an egg, and thin the uterine lining, reducing the likelihood of implantation.
• Mini pill: Unlike combination pills, these contain only progestin and primarily work by thickening cervical mucus and thinning the uterine lining. Sometimes they suppress ovulation. 
• Contraceptive patches and vaginal rings: Both methods release estrogen and progestin into the body. The patch is applied to the skin and replaced weekly, while the vaginal ring is inserted into the vagina and replaced monthly. Both prevent ovulation and alter cervical mucus.
• Injection (Depo-Provera): This method involves receiving a progestin injection every three months. It prevents ovulation and thickens cervical mucus. 
• Implants and intrauterine devices (IUDs): The implant is a small rod placed under the skin of the upper arm that releases progestin. Hormonal IUDs release progestin within the uterus, thickening cervical mucus and thinning the uterine lining. Copper IUDs (a non-hormonal option) prevent pregnancy by affecting sperm motility and egg implantation.

Can birth control make you infertile?

One of the most common questions is how long it takes for fertility to return after discontinuing birth control. The answer varies depending on the method used:

• Birth control pills, patches, and rings: Ovulation typically returns to normal within a few weeks to a few months after stopping.
• The mini-pill: Because it doesn’t always suppress ovulation, fertility can return quickly.
• Implants and IUDs: Fertility returns almost immediately after removal.
• Birth control shot: This method can cause the longest delay, with fertility taking up to 12 months to return.

A lot of different factors influences fertility, so it can be tricky to say exactly how contraception fits in. But the good news is that research shows your fertility won't be negatively impacted by hormonal birth control. 

Whether you’ve been using the combined oral contraceptive pill or the mini-pill, you can expect similar chances of getting pregnant within a year after stopping the pill, just like women who haven’t used hormonal birth control.

Research consistently shows that contraceptive use (even prolonged use) doesn’t impact long-term fertility. Once ovulation resumes, a woman’s ability to conceive is the same as someone who never used contraception. A systematic review of 17 studies found that typical pregnancy rates after discontinuing the pill were between 79% and 96%, which is pretty close to the rates for women using condoms. 

A 2002 study (admittedly, we need more recent data) also found that women who had been on the pill for more than five years conceived faster than those who were on the pill for less time.

Why do people believe birth control causes infertility?

Despite the scientific evidence, the myth that contraceptives make you infertile persists for several reasons. 

Delayed menstrual cycles after stopping birth control

Some women experience a delay in their menstrual cycle after discontinuing birth control. This temporary delay can be mistaken for infertility, but it is often just the body readjusting to its natural hormone cycles.

Age-related fertility decline

Your chances of conceiving naturally peak in your early twenties and slowly decline from your early thirties. Many women use birth control for years, sometimes through their late 20s and 30s. If they struggle to get pregnant after stopping, they may attribute it to birth control rather than natural age-related fertility decline. 

Underlying fertility issues

Conditions like polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and endometriosis can be masked by birth control. When a woman stops taking birth control, symptoms like menstrual irregularities may emerge, making it seem like birth control caused fertility problems when it was managing an existing reproductive condition.

Misinformation and fear

Like any drug, birth control isn’t perfect, and having concerns about side effects is legitimate. That said, misinformation about birth control, often spread on social media, fuels fears about infertility. Many people also take anecdotal stories as scientific data, so it’s really important to remember that: 

• Everyone’s experience with birth control is different: someone else’s negative experience with a birth control method shouldn’t be taken as hard proof.  
• Infertility is a multi-factorial condition: in many cases, the cause of infertility is unknown (this is called “unexplained infertility”).
• Correlation doesn’t mean causation: Nearly all women use a form of contraception in their lifetimes, and about 11% of women of reproductive age in the US have experienced fertility issues — but this doesn’t mean the two things are related.

The protective benefits of birth control

Not only does birth control not cause permanent infertility, but it can also have protective effects on reproductive health.

• Regulating menstrual cycles: The pill helps manage irregular cycles, which can be a sign of underlying fertility issues.
• Reducing the risk of ovarian cysts and endometriosis: Continuous hormone regulation prevents cyst formation and slows the progression of endometriosis.
• Lowering the risk of certain cancers: Studies suggest that hormonal birth control can reduce the risk of ovarian and endometrial cancers. 

So, the idea that birth control causes infertility is a myth. While it can temporarily delay ovulation, long-term use doesn’t harm fertility. Most women regain their ability to get pregnant shortly after stopping hormonal contraception. If you’ve stopped using birth control and haven’t conceived after a year of trying (or after six months if you’re over 35), consult a healthcare provider. They can evaluate factors like ovulation, egg and sperm quality, and overall reproductive health.

FAQ

Can birth control cause infertility in the future?

No, there's no evidence that birth control impacts future fertility. Most types of contraception, like birth control pills, IUDs, implants, and injections, work by temporarily regulating hormones or influencing ovulation to prevent pregnancy. Once you stop using them, your fertility usually returns to normal. The timeline can vary a bit depending on the method — many find that their fertility comes back almost right away after stopping the pill, while for injections like Depo-Provera, it might take a few months. In some rare cases, conditions like polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) or endometriosis that were hidden by birth control can show up after you stop, and these might impact fertility. But rest assured, birth control itself isn’t the cause of long-term infertility.

Is it hard to get pregnant after birth control?

Getting pregnant after stopping birth control is usually pretty straightforward, but how quickly your fertility comes back can vary based on the type of contraception you've been using. For many people, if you've been on birth control pills, patches, rings, or IUDs, you might find that your fertility returns quite quickly — sometimes even within the first cycle. On the other hand, if you've been using the Depo-Provera shot, it could take a bit longer, sometimes a few months or even up to a year, for your ovulation to get back to its normal rhythm. Age is also an important factor. If you come off birth control in your thirties, it may be harder to conceive naturally (compared to someone in their twenties). And if you had fertility issues before starting birth control, those might pop up again once you stop. Generally speaking, though, taking birth control doesn’t lead to long-term fertility issues, and most people find their natural fertility returns fairly quickly.

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