Can Birth Control Cause Infertility? (2025)

Almost one-quarter of women around the world who are of reproductive age use birth control to prevent unwanted pregnancies or plan their families. Several forms of birth control are now available, including oral pills, skin patches, and injections. Other options include vaginal inserts, skin implants, and intrauterine devices (IUDs).

Regardless of the method, some women have concerns about the long-term effects of birth control on fertility. However, no scientific evidence links birth control to permanent infertility.

Myth vs. Fact: Infertility From Birth Control

People may think that long-term use of birth control causes infertility for several reasons. It's time to debunk some myths about the matter. Infertility refers to the inability to get pregnant after at least one year of having regular sex without using any form of contraception.

After stopping birth control, some people may experience a temporary delay in fertility. However, your usual fertility level typically returns a few months after stopping your birth control. And research has shown that long-term use of any method of birth control doesn't lead to permanent infertility.

Some people may have conditions that contribute to infertility before they start taking birth control. Given that some forms of contraception create artificial regular menstrual cycles, they may not be aware of the preexisting condition until they stop taking the birth control. They may then attribute the fertility issues to birth control.

How Does Birth Control Work in the Body?

Hormonal forms of birth control can work in three different ways. They can prevent ovulation, thicken the cervical mucus, and thin the uterus wall. Many birth control methods combine two or three of these mechanisms to help prevent pregnancy.

For pregnancy to happen, your ovaries must first release a mature egg into a fallopian tube. This is called ovulation. Then, a sperm cell needs to travel to the fallopian tube and connect with the egg. This is called fertilization. Afterward, the fertilized egg attaches to the uterus wall, where the pregnancy develops. This is called implantation.

Preventing Ovulation

One way that certain birth control methods work is by preventing ovulation. They do this by mimicking your body's hormonal response to pregnancy.

After ovulation and during pregnancy, your ovaries release estrogen and progesterone hormones. These hormones then travel to the pituitary gland where they block the release of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH).

FSH and LH are hormones that stimulate ovulation. Without FSH and LH, your ovaries don't receive a signal to ovulate. Birth control methods that contain estrogen and or progestin prevent ovulation by blocking the release of FSH and LH from the pituitary gland.

Thickening the Cervical Mucus

Some forms of birth control can thicken the mucus around your cervix. This makes it harder for sperm to travel to the fallopian tubes to fertilize an egg. Examples of birth control methods that work this way are estrogen and progestin combination pills, skin implants, and injections.

Thinning the Uterus Lining

Lastly, some forms of birth control can thin the uterus lining to make it more difficult for implantation to happen. Combination and progestin-only birth control pills, the vaginal ring, and the hormonal IUD are examples of birth control methods that thin the uterine wall.

Keep in mind that many forms of birth control combine these mechanisms to prevent pregnancy in different ways.

How Birth Control Affects Menstruation

Menstruation, also referred to as a period, happens when estrogen and progesterone hormone levels in your body drop if a pregnancy doesn't happen. The low hormone levels signal your uterus to shed its lining and begin menstruation.

Hormonal forms of birth control contain synthetic versions of estrogen and progesterone hormones that mimic your natural hormones. By doing so, they create an artificial menstrual cycle. The difference is that birth control typically produces a steady level of hormones throughout the month, whereas your natural hormones fluctuate throughout your cycle. This fluctuation produces different phases of your cycle.

When you take birth control, your menstrual cycle remains in one phase as long as you're taking active pills or have an implant or IUD that releases hormones. In addition to active pills, many oral contraceptives also contain non-active pills (pills without hormones). When you take these pills, your body responds to the hormone withdrawal by menstruating.

Birth Control May Regulate Your Menstrual Cycle

Many people who take birth control pills find that their cycles become more regular. This is because they typically take non-active pills every four or 12 weeks depending on the type of birth control pack they have. This means they regularly menstruate every four or 12 weeks.

It's important to note that you may have occasional bleeding or spotting throughout your cycle when you first start taking hormonal birth control pills. As your hormones regulate, your period typically becomes regular as well.

How Long Does It Take to Get Pregnant After Stopping Birth Control?

Most people are usually able to get pregnant within a year after stopping birth control. However, each person's body reacts differently, and these times may vary.

How long it takes to get pregnant after birth control can also depend on the type of contraception you use. A 2020 study found that women who stopped different kinds of birth control were able to get pregnant two to eight months later.

The table below details the average length of time it took people in the study to get pregnant after stopping their birth control.