When choosing a contraception method, many women worry about potential side effects. Birth control that contains hormones alters part of the woman's reproductive system by preventing ovulation and implantation. Due to this change, it has been questioned whether hormonal birth control can affect fertility. While birth control can cause temporary infertility, there is no serious long-term effect on a woman's fertility.
Ovulation
While a woman is on any type of hormone birth control---birth control pills, injection, implant or intrauterine device---the hormones will prevent the release of an egg from the woman's ovaries. According to the Mayo Clinic, ovulation starts two weeks after the woman ceases taking her birth control pills. Once ovulation starts, the woman can become pregnant. However, some women may have a delay in the re-start of her ovulation.
Temporary Infertility
According to Epigee, some women may suffer from temporary infertility after they cease using their hormone based birth control. If the woman has been using her hormone birth control for a while, there is a possibility that increased hormones levels are still in her system. The estrogen or progestin in hormone birth control raise the amount in the woman's body, thus preventing ovulation and implantation. The length of time temporary infertility lasts depends on the type of birth control the woman is using. According to Epigee, women who use a combination birth control pill with estrogen and progestin may experience temporary infertility for two to three months; women who use Depo-Provera, a hormone birth control injection, may experience temporary infertility for six to 12 months.
Miscarriage
According to the Mayo Clinic, doctors once worried that women who became pregnant immediately after stopping hormone birth control had an increased risk of miscarriages. However, the Mayo Clinic notes that this is no longer a concern---women can safely become pregnant without the greater risk of miscarriage after using birth control.
