The great majority of contraceptive methods are temporary and do not cause infertility. Eighty-three percent of women become pregnant within one year after they stop using contraception. There are two methods (tubal ligation and vasectomy) that are meant to be permanent, but even these can, in some cases, be reversed [1]. Here are some popular methods of contraception and the prevalence of pregnancy within one year of stopping them.
Barrier contraceptives and natural family planning (NFP)
Using barrier methods such as condoms, spermicides and diaphragms to prevent pregnancy does not affect fertility in any way. Neither does withdrawal (colloquially known as “pulling out”), the rhythm method, or other similar approaches. The probability of pregnancy after stopping the usage of these methods is the same as before using them.
Combined oral contraceptives (COC)
Birth control pills that combine progestin and estrogen to prevent pregnancy also do not affect fertility once you cease taking them. Eighty-seven percent of women on COC become pregnant within one year after they stop taking the pill [2], and 20% become pregnant within one menstrual cycle [3].
Intrauterine device (IUD)
The instance of pregnancy within one year for women who have used an IUD is the same as for those using barrier or natural methods: 84%. This is true whether they have used a non-hormonal copper IUD or hormone-releasing LNG-IUD. What is interesting is that unlike getting off the pill, which yields a 20% pregnancy probability after the first menstrual cycle, most women who have used an IUD take until the sixth to eighth menstrual cycle to get pregnant [4].
Hormonal implants and injections
These methods yield a lower probability of pregnancy within one year than other methods, though the overall probability is still high. For hormonal implants, that probability is 74%, while for injections, it is 77% [2].
Does the duration of contraception matter?
Not usually. Studies have shown that when you have used contraception only for a short time — say, three or four months — or intermittently, pregnancy might be slightly delayed because your body is “confused” and its natural rhythms are off kilter. But if you’ve used contraception for a year or longer, there is no effect on your probability of pregnancy within one year.
What can skew the data is the consideration of age. A woman who has used contraceptives for ten years might be 25 years old or 35 years old; fertility is very different between those two ages. In that case, contraceptive use still does not affect fertility, but other biological factors do [2].
This article was created in association with UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency.
