Birth Control and fertility
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Birth Control and fertility
| 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?
Is there any truth to this? Would changing methods counteract any ill effects or mess up a person's system more?

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.
Hi lwalbridge, welcome!
Jill
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