Women risk ‘accidental’ side effect from Mounjaro and Wegovy

Women who take medication like Mounjaro and Wegovy could risk an additional side effect from improving their health, and for some, it has proven to be the “best thing ever”. Anyone using these injections should take added precautions to avoid an unplanned pregnancy.

Speaking on the No Appointments Necessary podcast, ITV regular Dr Amir Khan said: “There is this thing online called an ‘Ozempic baby’ where people who have been on these weight loss jabs who have struggled to get pregnant previously are finding that they’re getting pregnant.

“If you are trying for a baby or you may be pregnant, you must not take these medications because they are not licensed for pregnancy. These are accidental pregnancies that are happening.”

He claims that people with conditions like PMOS, who have high levels of insulin resistance, are “more likely to ovulate” and get pregnant after taking these medications.

Dr Khan clarified: “I don’t think the jabs themselves are causing the pregnancy, but they’re changing the biology enough in these ladies for them to increase the risk of getting pregnant. If you’re trying to get pregnant, you must not take these jabs. I’m not saying they’re harmful in pregnancy, but we don’t have any evidence to say one way or another.”

While referred to as ‘Ozempic babies’, these effects were clear in women taking other medications such as Mounjaro and Wegovy. Commenting on the video, one person claims: “I got pregnant on Mounjaro. Very unexpected but the best thing ever!”

Another wrote: “I got pregnant with our third after struggling for 18 months with our first and second, and I was on the pill! My doctor said that [certain medications] can reduce the effectiveness of the pill, as well as having PCOS insulin resistance.”

A third commented: “I am an example of this too. Fell pregnant (after years of trying and nothing) after six months of being on Mounjaro .”

Someone else said: “Got pregnant with twins on Mounjaro. I’ve never had a regular period in my life. If a drug is regulating your hormones then it’s going to help.”

Can Mounjaro and Wegovy increase fertility?

Indirectly, these medications have been found to have an impact on fertility improvement. Experts claim that this happens as a result of significant weight loss and improved conditions like insulin resistance and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

Professor Gerard Conway, of the London Lauriston Clinic, said: “Many women with PCOS have insulin resistance, which leads to higher testosterone levels and more irregular periods. With longer gaps between periods, ovulation is impaired, so the chances of conceiving are reduced. Mounjaro-induced weight loss (typically 5-15% of body weight) may improve insulin sensitivity, decrease androgen levels, and restore ovulatory cycles, enhancing chances of conception.”

It is important to stress that neither Mounjaro or Wegovy are approved fertility drugs. UK guidance curently says to stop Mounjaro at least a month before and Wegovy at least two months before trying to conceive.