CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Several claims online say women who take Ozempic are becoming pregnant -- even those who are on birth control.
The results of those pregnancies have been dubbed "Ozempic babies." But is this a real unintended consequence of taking Ozempic?
Ozempic has been helping people with diabetes manage their blood glucose levels, and a side effect of the drug is rapid weight loss.
THE QUESTION
Could Ozempic cause unplanned pregnancies?
THE ANSWER
Yes, Ozempic could cause an unplanned pregnancy. The medication spurs rapid weight loss and could potentially absorb other oral medications you’re taking, like birth control pills.
THE SOURCES
WHAT WE FOUND
According to the FDA, people on Ozempic need to supplement the medication with proper diet and exercise, but a new side effect of the drug has surprised some in the medical community.
"It is turning out to be true that medications like Ozempic, and Mounjaro, can in fact, improve your fertility," Kohli said.
She said there are probably two main reasons for this.
First, she said many women with excess weight have a difficult time getting pregnant, in the first place.
"So the fertility actually gets impacted, and women who are obese or overweight, or their periods can be irregular, they can have syndromes like PCOS or polycystic ovarian syndrome, that suppress their fertility," Kohli explained.
When you lose weight from taking Ozempic, Kohli said that can help regulate your hormones and menstrual cycle, increasing fertility.
Second, and the most concerning for Kohli, Ozempic could be absorbing some other oral medications women are taking.
"So because the medicine works in the stomach and the gut to delay gastric emptying, it slows the speed at which things move through your gut," Kohli said. "It can affect the way that medicines are absorbed, including birth control pills."
Kohli stressed that if you’re taking other medications with Ozempic, be sure to let your doctor know.
"Talk to your doctor about whether the absorption of these potential medications could be affected if you're taking Ozempic or Mounjaro," she said.
And if you’re on Ozempic and worried about an unplanned pregnancy? Kohli said you’ll need to use other forms of contraception.
"So either get an IUD, which is an intrauterine device, use barrier contraception, or do something else, because just the pill alone, which might have been working for you for many years, may not be as effective," Kohli said.
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