Can birth control make you infertile? No – here's the real story

It's a myth that birth control will affect your fertility. Don't worry: Using birth control now has no effect on your ability to get pregnant later. In fact, with most methods, you'll be fertile immediately or within a couple of months after you stop using birth control.

"There's no birth control method that makes you infertile, except tying your tubes," says Layan Alrahmani, a board-certified ob-gyn, maternal-fetal medicine specialist, and member of the BabyCenter Medical Advisory Board. "Your fertility will resume once you discontinue birth control."

Does hormonal birth control cause infertility?

No, hormonal birth control doesn't cause infertility. Hormonal birth control methods contain the hormones estrogen and/or progestin, and include birth control pills, the birth control shot (Depo-Provera), the birth control implant, the birth control patch, the birth control ring, and the hormonal intrauterine device (IUD).

Hormonal birth control prevents ovulation – the release of eggs from your ovaries. (If there's no egg available to fertilize, there's no chance of pregnancy.) But these methods don't reduce the number of eggs you have. Your eggs are still available for a potential pregnancy at a later time.

Hormonal birth control also thickens the mucus in your cervix, so sperm can't reach an egg if you were to ovulate. And it thins the lining of your uterus, discouraging implantation if an egg were to be fertilized. These are all temporary effects.

One reviewOpens a new window of studies involving almost 15,000 women who stopped using birth control found that 83.1% of them became pregnant within a year. This is about the same as the overall group of women trying to get pregnant. The researchers concluded that the time span to pregnancy wasn't significantly different for women using hormonal birth control methods or non-hormonal IUDs.

There's no birth control method that makes you infertile, except tying your tubes.

- Layan Alrahmani, M.D., a board-certified ob-gyn and maternal-fetal medicine specialist

How long does birth control affect fertility?

Most birth control methods stop preventing pregnancy as soon as or soon after you stop using them. When stopping any kind of contraceptive, be prepared for the fact that you could get pregnant right away!

Some long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs) can delay fertility for a little while, though. Here's a rundown: 

Birth control pills

It's possible to get pregnant during your next menstrual cycle after stopping birth control pills, but it may take a few cycles. One studyOpens a new window concluded that there was a short-term delay in the return of fertility when comparing oral contraceptives with barrier methods of birth control such as male condoms, female condoms, the diaphragm, and the cervical cap. Still, more than half of the 3,724 women studied became pregnant within six months.

Because the progestin-only mini pill contains such a small dose of hormone, its effectiveness wears off more quickly than that of combination (estrogen and progesterone) birth control pills.

Birth control shot

Injectable contraception, which is designed to prevent pregnancy for several months, affects fertility the longest. According to one studyOpens a new window, it takes five to eight menstrual cycles for fertility to return to normal after stopping birth control shots.

Birth control implant

While pregnancy is possible any time after an implant is removed, it typically takes two cycles for fertility to return.

Birth control patch

The study mentioned above found that it took four menstrual cycles for fertility to return after removing the patch.

Birth control ring

Your fertility can return right away, though it may take a few months for it to come back after removing the ring.

Keep in mind that whether your fertility returns immediately or within a few months, it doesn't mean you'll necessarily become pregnant right away. Whether you've been on birth control or not, it can take up to a year or more to get pregnant.

IUD

It's possible to get pregnant immediately after having an IUD (hormonal or copper) removed, even before having a period. But for some women it may take a couple of weeks or even a couple of cycles for fertility to return. 

Learn more about what happens when you stop taking birth control.

Does Plan B cause infertility?

No, Plan B – also called emergency contraception (EC) or the morning-after pill – won't affect your fertility, even if you take it more than once. It works by delaying ovulation and temporarily thinning the lining of your uterus.

While your first menstrual cycle after taking EC may come a little earlier or later than usual, your fertility will return with that cycle. For this reason, you'll want to make sure you're using reliable contraception right away, says Dr. Alrahmani.

Plan B isn't a good method to use for ongoing birth control. While it's safe and effective, it can cause side effects such as nausea and vomiting, breast tenderness, headaches, and irregular periods.

Are there forms of birth control that cause infertility?

No, there are no forms of birth control that cause infertility.

The most common causes of infertility in women are:

• Inability to produce and release healthy eggs. An ovulation disorder is the most common cause of infertility factor, according to the American Society for Reproductive MedicineOpens a new window. This may be due to hormonal problems, age, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), being excessively underweight or overweight, or other conditions.
• Blocked fallopian tubes, which keep the fertilized egg from traveling to the uterus. This may be due to a condition such as endometriosis or a history of pelvic infection or abdominal or pelvic surgery.
• Problems with the uterus, where the fertilized egg will implant and develop. Fibroids, adhesions, or polyps, for example, can affect the health of the uterus.

When to call your doctor

It's possible that if your method of birth control helped with fertility issues such as irregular periods, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), or endometriosis, stopping your birth control might lead to a return of the problem.

Call your doctor with any questions you have about stopping birth control, or if you experience side effects when you stop taking it.

Also talk with your doctor if you've stopped taking birth control and are unable to get pregnant after trying for a year (or six months if you're 35 or older).

If you're planning a pregnancy, schedule a preconception checkup even before you stop taking birth control. This can help you emotionally and physically prepare for pregnancy.