Fertility of couples following cessation of contraception

Abstract

SummaryA retrospective study has been undertaken among 5108 women of the delay in conception after stopping different methods of contraception. Particular attention was paid to the delay that sometimes separates the cessation of contraception and the beginning of intercourse without precautions and to the effect of possible confounding factors.It was possible to demonstrate a decreased fertility for couples after the pill and, to a lesser degree, after IUD use, but only among those who did not take other precautions (waiting period). For couples observing a waiting period, there is no decrease of fertility following the initial exposure to the risk of conception.The different prevalence of these confounding factors from one population to another can explain the various results reported of other studies.