Birth control is a very common thing for women under the age of 30. In the U.S, about three in four sexually active women under the age of 30 use some type of birth control. One thing that has always scared me about birth control is whether it can negativity affect fertility in the years after taking the Pill is stopped. I decided to research if it does have negative effects, or if that shouldn’t be a concern.

A European study on oral contraceptives involved over 2,000 women who were on the Pill and stopped taking it to try to conceive. The women were followed for a minimum of two years after they stopped taking it to see how long it took for them to pregnant. One year after the stopping of the contraceptives, 79.4% of the women were pregnant. These numbers were almost identical to those who had not used the Pill. This study supports the claim that prior use of the Pill makes no difference for future conception. There is always the idea that the results could be due to chance or third variables, but the study seems to be reputable in its results.

Not only does the Pill seem to not have negative effects on fertility, but it also has the ability to protect against diseases such as ovarian and uterine cancer, which can eventually lead to infertility. Researchers have also found that the Pill improves the symptoms of endometriosis, which is a condition that causes abnormal menstrual bleeding which leads to infertility.

While the Pill may not negatively affect infertility, there are many side effects that are quite often seen by users. Some of these include nausea, weight gain, mood changes, headaches, missed periods, and visual changes with contact lenses. Birth control pills have also been associated with blood pressure increase, liver tumors, and an increase in the risk of developing cervical cancer.

Taking the Pill is obviously a personal choice, and it is one that should be made knowing all the pros and cons. For me, knowing it does not affect fertility pleasantly surprises me. I had heard from others that it may end up being harmful to fertility, but the research and studies show that it most likely does not. When deciding to take the Pill or not, make sure you are aware of the positives of it, but also the possible symptoms and effects.