Birth Control and fertility

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-07-2007
Birth Control and fertility
5
Wed, 05-09-2007 - 6:08pm
I've heard and read rumors about birth control, specifically the pill, making women sterile after taking it consistently for X number of years. I believe the last total I heard was 10 years.
Is there any truth to this? Would changing methods counteract any ill effects or mess up a person's system more?
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-12-2002
Wed, 05-09-2007 - 9:34pm

Not true.

Our cycles and hormones change as we age, so if a woman takes birth control for 10 years and then goes off it to have children, she is a lot older, her hormones are different, and her years of prime fertility are dropping off. All of these things combined can cause problems with fertility, not to mention if a woman went on the pill for irregular cycles, it is important to know that the CAUSE of the cycle irregularities doesn't go away just because she is on the pill. All the pill will do is control the symptoms. So after 10 years of the problem sitting there, and the woman not knowing there is a problem, it only becomes apparent when she starts trying to conceive.


 


 


iVillage Member
Registered: 12-30-2003
Wed, 05-09-2007 - 9:36pm

Hi lwalbridge, welcome!


      Jill

    

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-18-2003
Thu, 05-10-2007 - 12:25pm

The pp's gave excellent info. BCP's may be blamed for things that they don't cause.

I'd just like to add my personal story which obviously is not necessarily typical. I used birth control pills, norplant and the patch for a combined 15 years. I got pregnant the first month that I was off the patch (planned pregnancy). I was 34.5 and dh was 35. Theoretically it should have taken us longer to conceive just due to our ages. I have a friend who conceived the first month of trying in her early 30's. She also used bcp for many years. Her second baby was conceived within 3 months:)

HTH.
Holly

Holly
iVillage Member
Registered: 05-23-2007
Wed, 05-23-2007 - 8:52am
I had the norplant when I was 22 had it removed at 27 it took me nine years to get pregnant and I lost that baby now a year has past and I have not gotten pregnant again I would never recommend any implant device as a form of birth control having gone through what I've gone through.
Avatar for ilovemyfeet
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-04-2003
Wed, 05-23-2007 - 9:47am
my cycles were prity regular before i went on BC i tarted taking it about a year beofre i got married and was on it for almost 4 year.i tried severial different pills and even the nuva ring had horable side effects. I stoped taking the BC and it took us over 2 years to finally get pregnant. The dr couldnt find any reasion for me not to be getting pregnant ad all the parts checked out me and dh both. we still dont know what caused us to have so many problems getting pregnant but im fairly certain im not going back on hormonal BC after the baby comes i had too many side effects felt so horable and it took us way to long to finally get pregant once i stoped taking it. i dont think we will ever really know if it does effect fertility or not it may effect some women and it may not who really knows, i dont think it gives most women any problems though.
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