Waiting to return for eight months of fertility: Women face longer delays than they could conceive after stopping contraception, research suggests
- The speed at which a woman becomes pregnant depends on the type of contraceptive
- Those who discontinued injectable contraception waited five to eight months
- Women who have stopped using implants are more likely to become pregnant after two months
- Teams from Boston University and Ahras University pulled data from three studies
After stopping contraception, women will have to wait up to eight months for their fertility to return to normal, researchers say.
The speed at which a woman becomes pregnant depends on the type of contraceptive she used instead of the length she used.
Women who come with injectable contraceptives had to wait five to eight months to become pregnant, while those who stopped using patches had to wait four months.
Pill users took an average of three months, while women who stopped using implants, including IUDs, reported becoming pregnant after two months.
Users of the pill (pictured oral contraceptives), on average, took three months. The method of contraception is the most popular choice for women in the UK (file photo)
U.S. A team from Boston University and Ahras University in Denmark, whose research was published in the British Medical Journal, compiled data from three studies involving about 18,000 women.
At the beginning of the study, women reported their contraceptive histories as well as personal, medical, and lifestyle information.
Subsequent questionnaires were sent for up to two months to a year or until they became pregnant.
The researchers say their findings “may inform clinical recommendations on contraceptive decision making”.
They added that their results no longer show any lasting effect of using these contraceptive methods.
The study writes: ‘Overall, we found that the use of IUD devices and implant contraceptives was associated with a shorter delay in reproductive return, with injectable contraception showing the longest delay.
‘Understanding the comparative effects of different contraceptives … Advice for family planning, contraceptive and infertility management is essential.’
The pill is the most popular contraceptive choice for women in the UK, with around two-thirds of women aged 20-24 taking it regularly to prevent pregnancy.
Women who stopped using the patches had to wait four months to become pregnant. Teams from Boston University and Ahras University pooled data from three studies (file photo)
Meanwhile, those who have stopped using implants including IUD, copper coil device have noticed that they are pregnant after two months (file photo)
Meanwhile about 14 percent of women who use contraception use either implants or injections. According to the NHS website, injections are more than 99 percent effective if used properly.
They warn that it may take ‘up to a year’ for fertility to return to normal after the injection is stopped, ‘so it will not be appropriate if you want to have a baby in the near future’.
Regarding the findings, Professor Geeta Nargund, Medical Director, Create Fertility, said, “The latest BMJ study provides interesting and useful information for women taking contraceptives.
‘It emphasizes the importance of advising women about their individual future reproductive needs when prescribing contraception.
‘It’s not just about the effectiveness and side effects, but about providing information about how quickly their fertility returns when they decide to stop contraception, they should try and decide to get pregnant.’
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