“Ozempic Babies”: Myth Busting PCOS Edition

A close up of a contraceptive pill

Recently, many TikTok and social media influencers have reported “Ozempic babies†or increased fertility, resulting in unplanned pregnancies while taking semaglutide. As a result, I have many patients asking if their oral birth control is ineffective or if I can use semaglutide (Ozempic/Wegovy) as a fertility medication.

There’s currently no published research exploring the relationship between semaglutide (Ozempic) and the effectiveness of oral birth control.

What we do know:

  1. Semaglutide slows down gastrointestinal transit time, which could affect the absorption of many oral medications, including oral birth control. This is theory, not proven.
  2. Semaglutide is now included in the 2023 PCOS Treatment Guidelines. PCOS can cause infertility; therefore, treating your PCOS with semaglutide often results in increased fertility(1).
  3. Animal studies have shown an increased risk of birth defects, low birth weight, and increased risk for miscarriage (2).

A close up of three pens on top of a table

What does this mean for oral birth control users?

If there is a concern, you can discuss changing to non-oral birth control, although I have personally never seen unplanned “Ozempic babies†in practice in women on oral birth control.

Does this mean I can use Ozempic as a fertility medication?

Absolutely not! Although you might have increased fertility by using it to treat your PCOS, that does not mean it is safe for the embryo. It is recommended to stop usage immediately upon a positive pregnancy test and to stop taking two months before attempts at conceiving (2).

A woman holding a pregnancy test in her hands.

References:

  1. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2017/209637lbl.pdf

2. https://www.monash.edu/medicine/mchri/pcos/guideline

Share it :

Related Articles

A woman getting her teeth cleaned by an esthetician.

Laser vs. Electrolysis for PCOS Treatment

Patients with PCOS often suffer from hirsutism or excess hair growth. This is usually caused by excess androgens stimulating the hair follicle. Until your PCOS is treated at the root, quite literally, no pun

Read More