Impacts of Contraception on Future Fertility: Addressing Concerns to Improve Understanding

Abstract

Even though one-year pregnancy rates following contraceptive discontinuation are similar to pregnancy rates following nonuse of contraception, there are widespread perceptions that modern contraceptives will have adverse effects on future fertility. There are likely a variety of factors that contribute to these perceptions. One explanation could be the short-term (<12 months) delays in return to fertility following contraceptive cessation, which may be interpreted as evidence of subfertility. In this commentary, we argue that the contraceptive field should embrace evidence-based nuance about return to fertility (including, but not limited to, during contraceptive counseling) to minimize confusion and distrust. Further, greater emphasis on the fertility-preserving aspects of contraception and multipurpose prevention technologies may be helpful in bringing understanding about the effects of contraception into alignment with scientific evidence.