Does Ozempic affect fertility?
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What's the lowdown?
There is no strong human evidence proving that Ozempic directly affects or ‘boosts’ your fertility
Weight loss, on the other hand, is a well-known way to give your fertility a little ‘boost’, especially if you have a higher BMI or hormonal or metabolic conditions like polycystic ovary syndrome
Any fertility ‘boost’ from Ozempic is more likely due to improved metabolism, hormonal balance and a regular cycle rather than the a magical effect it has on your reproductive health
You should not take Ozempic while you’re pregnant or breastfeeding
You might have heard of the Ozempic baby phenomenon that took the world, well mainly social media, by storm. People everywhere believed Ozempic had a miracle side effect curing infertility. Let’s get into the actual science.
The science behind Ozempic
Ozempic is a brand name for a drug called semaglutide, which acts like a gut hormone called GLP-11. The hormone’s job basically tells your brain ‘Hey, you’re full’! It essentially slows down how fast food leaves your stomach and helps your pancreas release insulin more smoothly. So Ozmepic helps you reduce your hunger, stabilise blood sugar levels and gently shift metabolism in your favour. Ozempic is meant for the treatment of uncontrolled Type 2 diabetes, but improving your metabolism might influence reproductive balance.
Has there been any research on Ozempic affecting fertility?
As Ozempic is a fairly new drug, the science research behind the different effects it can have on the human body, more specifically the female human body is lacking!
Some early research (mainly in animals) suggests that GLP-1 medicines like Ozempic might act on the brain to trigger certain fertility hormones and could even have some positive effects on the ovaries and womb lining2.
But of course, we are not giant lab rats . So only until we have data from humans, it is best not to read too much into these early results.
Can weight loss improve fertility?
Yes, this is one of the more well-supported relationships in reproductive health. High BMI (body mass index) or metabolic issues (e.g. PCOS) can impair fertility. These tend to ‘stress’ your reproductive system leading to insulin resistance, hormonal imbalances and affect ovulation and egg quality. This can overall result in decreased chance of pregnancy or longer time to achieve pregnancy3.
Our menstrual cycle is reliant on a fine hormonal balance. Conditions like obesity can disrupt this balance leading to irregular periods and hence impact fertility. Without ovulation where you release an egg each month, you can’t get pregnant naturally.
Many women with excess weight still ovulate, but their eggs may be of poorer quality, aking it harder to get pregnant. A study found that in ovulating women, each increased number in BMI above 29 is associated with a 4% decreased chance of getting pregnant within 12 months4.
So losing weight either naturally or with medications like Ozempic helps reduce the ‘stress’ on the reproductive system, and may restore how regularly you get your period. This will also improve ovulation and egg quality.
Does Ozempic affect fertility?
It certainly might seem that way, right?
But really, the correlation of Ozempic babies with improved fertility is just a correlation. There is no data to prove causation yet. Which means the fertility ‘boost’ is probably down to weight loss helping you cycle get back on track.
The idea is: when someone with obesity or metabolic imbalances loses weight and insulin sensitivity improves, the reproductive hormones rebalance, ovulation improves, and fertility rates rises.
However, you should remember that Ozempic is not currently a form of fertility treatment. So don’t swap IVF for Ozempic just yet, unless it is advised by your specialist.
Can I continue to take ozempic if I become pregnant?
If you’re on Ozempic when you get a positive pregnancy test, we do not recommend continuing the injections. The MotherToBaby factsheet5 states there is very limited evidence on semaglutide use in pregnancy.
Some animal studies have shown that the exposure to the medication is associated with foetal growth restrictions, increased pregnancy loss and developmental abnormalities.
If you think about it, Ozempic suppresses your appetite, so if you’re not eating enough, neither is your baby. And it is crucial for your little one to get the right nutrients for it to grow big and strong!
So if you become pregnant while taking Ozempic, stop right away and speak to your doctor or obstetrician about what your next steps are.
Can Ozempic affect contraception?
This has become an emerging concern since the hype around Ozempic has grown. There has been some evidence that Ozempic could affect how well your body absorbs the pill, since it slows down how fast your food (and meds) leave your stomach.
Less contraceptive hormone = more chance of getting pregnant. Currently, the risks are more theoretical than proven which essentially means we do not have enough evidence to back this up.
One study has found that semaglutide does not affect contraception, but we know one study isn’t enough6. To play it safe, some doctors suggest using a back-up method of barrier contraception like condoms to lower the risk of pregnancy. We’ve got loads more to say on this, so we’ve put it in a separate article about how weight loss medications affect your contraception.
Dr Fatema Dawoodbhoy
Fatema is currently training in London as an Academic doctor, with a special interest in Obstetrics and Gynaecology. She is passionate about championing women to understand their bodies better and prioritise their health. She understands the importance of clinically accurate articles and has been writing engaging and educative medical content for 5 years.
Our medical review process
This article has been medically reviewed for factual and up to date information by a Lowdown doctor.
