Women face long delays before they can conceive after stopping contraception, research finds

Women may have to wait up to eight months for their fertility to return to normal after stopping contraception, the researchers say.

How quickly a woman got pregnant depended on the type of contraception she had used rather than how long it was used.

Women who stopped using injectables had to wait between five and eight months to get pregnant, while those who stopped using the patches had a four-month wait.

Pill users took an average of three months, while women who stopped using implants, including IUDs, reported becoming pregnant two months later.

Users of the pill (oral contraceptive shown) took an average of three months. The contraceptive method remains the most popular choice for women in the UK (file photo)

The team from Boston University in the United States and Aarhus University in Denmark, whose research is published in the British Medical Journal, gathered data from three studies involving nearly 18,000 women.

At the start of the study, the women reported their contraceptive history as well as personal, medical, and lifestyle information.

Follow-up questionnaires were sent over two months for up to one year or until they reported becoming pregnant.

The researchers say their findings “may inform clinical recommendations on contraceptive decision-making.”

They added that their results did not show any lasting effect of using these contraceptive methods over a long period of time.

The study reads: “Overall, we found that the use of IUD devices and contraceptive implants was associated with short delays in the return to fertility, with injectables showing the most delay. long.

“Understanding the comparative effects of different contraceptives … is essential for family planning, contraceptive counseling, and infertility management.

The pill remains the most popular contraceptive choice for women in the UK, with around two-thirds of women aged 20 to 24 taking it regularly to avoid pregnancy.

Women who stopped using the patches waited four months to get pregnant. The team at Boston University and Aarhus University pooled data from three studies (file photo)

Meanwhile, those who stopped using implants, including IUDs, a copper coil device pictured, said they got pregnant two months later (file photo)

During this time, about 14% of women using contraception use implants or injections. The injection is over 99% effective if used correctly, according to the NHS website.

They warn that it may take “up to a year” for fertility to return to normal after the injection is finished, “so it may not be suitable if you want to have a baby in the near future.”

Commenting on the results, Professor Geeta Nargund, Medical Director of CREATE Fertility, said: “The latest BMJ study offers interesting and useful information for women who take contraception.

“It emphasizes the importance of counseling women about their individual future fertility needs when prescribing contraception.

“It’s not just about the effectiveness and side effects, but also providing information on how quickly their fertility is likely to return when they decide to stop contraception, if they decide to try. to get pregnant. “