The world has witnessed a huge population explosion in the last few decades. The advancement in science and medicines has increased the lifespan of human beings as well as decreased the birth mortality rate. So, now for the betterment of mankind family planning stands as a very important aspect. Moreover, as people are educated nowadays, they prefer to expand their families only after a a few years of marriage. So, birth control came out as the best way to solve all these issues.

Birth control is the method of avoiding unwanted pregnancies by the use of contraception. It has been considered a boon for many married  couples, but it’s possible side effects can also shatter your dream of conceiving. Scary isn’t it?

The most common ways of birth control are birth control pills, shots, sponge, vaginal ring, cervical cap, diaphragm, condom, FAMs, IUD, vasectomy and tubectomy. Among these some are temporary while some are permanent birth control methods. The birth control methods that are linked with hormonal changes are generally the reason for loss of fertility for a period of time.

Read more: 15 Natural Birth Control Everyone Should Know

Birth Control: 5 Side Effects on Fertility

Well, as you have already read that practicing birth control for many years may cause some irregularities in your fertility which are as follows:

Menstrual Cycle disruption

Birth Control methods such as the pill, patch, vaginal ring, shot and IUD can affect menstrual cycle in different way. Variant aspects of bleeding can change as time passes, periods can be longer, shorter, heavier, or lighter, as per the type of birth control method used. Well, you make take the best of birth control pills but you will experience irregular menstrual cycle for the first few months. Unpredictable periods occur in cases of injected and implanted contraceptives. IUDs cause heavy and painful periods. Vaginal rings cause spotting in menstruation in the first three months of using that ring. After you stop using these birth control methods you make have irregular menstruation or no menstruation for a few months due to the hormonal impact on menstrual cycle. So, you may not get immediately fertile after you stop using the birth control method. It may take a time span of few months or sometimes even upto two years.

Hormone imbalance

Most BCPs are made up of synthetic progesterone and estrogen. These synthetic hormones enter the brain and shut down the hormones such as gonadotropins which are responsible for the proper functioning of the menstrual cycle. Due to this ovulation is prevented and it causes menstrual irregularities. Synthetic hormones do not limit binding with just the progesterone receptor, but many other receptors as well. When these synthetic progestins binds to the wrong receptor, that receptor may convey inaccurate signals, which throws the body out of balance, causing irregularities. Thus, they cause many side effects. Fatigue, Depression, Low libido, Insomnia,Anxiety and Weight gain are the probable side effects of hormonal changes.  The imbalance caused by these synthetic hormones results in problems in fertility. It may make you less fertile for a small period of time, but by consulting the doctor and taking proper medication you can become fertile again.

Disrupted ovulation

Post-pill Amenorrhea is a common problem for many women taking birth control pills or birth control shots. You must start ovulating in about one to three months after stopping the birth control method. But, if you don’t experience it within this time period  you are probably suffering from post – pill Amenorrhea. This creates a fake menstrual cycle at times and it may look like normal periods but it is not so. Birth control shots like  Depo-Provera are taken by many people as a birth control method every 90 days. Even if you stop Birth control shots, even then it may hinder fertility for about 22 months or more.

Changes the uterine lining

Birth control methods change the uterine lining and this makes the uterine lining unreceptive to implantation that happens after the egg is fertilised by the sperm. Synthetic hormones control the body’s estrogen progesterone which makes it difficult for a proper uterine lining to be formed. These deplete the glycogen into sugar and makes the endometrium lining thin. Many women start using birth control methods at a very young age and this goes on for a longer time. They are unaware of the probable  side effects of the birth control method that may become serious after continuing it for a longer period of time. So, you must know about the probable consequences you may have to face after taking birth control methods so that you don’t have to suffer.

Cervical mucus changes

The Pill taken for birth control are shown to thicken cervical mucus so that sperm cannot reach the egg. Healthy cervical mucus is quite necessary for conception because it helps sperm to travel through the vagina and the cervix to meet and fertilize an egg, thus causing fertilization.  But cervical mucus changes may persist for a longer time even after you stop using the birth control method. This may hinder your fertility as the cervical mucus may remain thick and the sperm may not reach the ova. This may make it seem that you have lost your fertility, but it is not so. It’s just a thickening of cervical mucus which can always be treated by the help of proper medication.

So, these are the probable issues you may have to face if you are using a birth control method, specially contraceptive pills. Generally a woman regains her fertility within a month or three months but it may end up for a longer period of time due to the above mentioned problems. This this may hamper your family planning. Many people think that this is permanent and feel dejected but you can always regain your fertility after taking help from your doctor. So,  if you have decided to stop birth control and be fertile again, it may take some time for you to be  back to normal. So, don’t panic, consult your Doctor instead.

Hope this article was of help to you! Please share your comments/queries/tips with us and help us create a world full of Happy, Healthy and Empowered Women!!