Many people wonder if Wegovy is safe to use during pregnancy, or if it can impact your birth control. But what are the facts? We’re here to share everything you need to know about Wegovy, pregnancy, and contraception, with advice and guidance from the MedExpress experts.

What is Wegovy?

Wegovy is an injectable weight loss treatment manufactured by Novo Nordisk — the same company that produces Ozempic. In clinical trials, Wegovy was shown to help people lose an average of 15% of their body weight, when paired with a healthy diet and regular exercise. [1]

How Does Wegovy (semaglutide) Help You Lose Weight? 

Semaglutide, the active ingredient in Wegovy, is a GLP-1 medicine. GLP-1s support weight loss in three ways; reducing your appetite, keeping you fuller for longer, and controlling your blood sugar. 

Is Wegovy (semaglutide) Safe to Use During Pregnancy, or While Trying to Conceive? 

Many medications are advised against during pregnancy due to the unknown risks, but we know for certain that Wegovy and other treatments including semaglutide shouldn’t be used. Research conducted in animal studies has shown that this could lead to fetal harm. [2]

If you’re planning a pregnancy, we strongly recommend that you stop using Wegovy at least 2 months before trying to conceive. This gives the medication enough time to fully leave your system. 

If you’re sexually active and not planning a pregnancy, you should use contraception while taking Wegovy. We recommend that you speak to your doctor about your birth control options — you can use oral contraceptive pills, non-oral methods such as the implant or IUD, or barrier methods like condoms.

What if I Get Pregnant While Using a Weight Loss Treatment? 

In the event that you do become pregnant while using a GLP-1 treatment like Wegovy, the best advice is to stop taking it immediately. Contact your doctor or clinical team for further advice on pregnancy and your weight loss journey.

Can You Take Wegovy (semaglutide) While Breastfeeding?

There isn’t enough research available to determine whether or not it’s safe to breastfeed while using semaglutide, or any other GLP-1 medicines. To avoid the risk of harm to your child, you should not breastfeed while using a weight loss treatment, and you also won’t be eligible for treatment while breastfeeding.

Do Weight Loss Drugs Affect Oral Contraception?

This depends on your treatment. Research has shown that semaglutide, the active ingredient in Wegovy, doesn’t impact the absorption of oral birth control pills, so these are safe to use alongside your treatment. [3,4] Keep in mind, however, that side effects like vomiting and diarrhoea could make your contraception less effective, leading to a risk of pregnancy. 

Important: If you experience severe diarrhoea that lasts for over 24 hours, or vomiting within three hours of taking your oral contraceptive pill, you may need a repeat dose of your oral contraceptive pill. Contact your GP or call 111 for medical advice if this occurs.

Other treatments, such as tirzepatide, the active ingredient in Mounjaro, could impact oral contraceptive pills [5]. If you’re using Mounjaro and concerned about pregnancy, it’s recommended that you speak to your medical care provider or a healthcare professional about non-oral contraceptives, such as the implant or intrauterine coil.

Weight Loss and Fertility

If you experience obesity-related reproductive health issues, such as disrupted hormones or irregular ovulation [6], losing weight could potentially help you improve your fertility. For this reason, some people try to reach a healthy body weight before planning a pregnancy — remember, if you’re using Wegovy or any other semaglutide-based treatment to support your weight loss journey, you must stop treatment for 2 months before trying to conceive.

Looking for weight loss treatment plans?

At MedExpress, our team is here to guide you through every step of your weight loss journey. If you ever have questions about obesity and fertility, side effects, pregnancy or contraceptive safety, you can contact us any time. 

 References:

1. Jastreboff AM, Aronne LJ, Ahmad NN, Wharton S, Connery L, Alves B, et al. Tirzepatide Once Weekly for the Treatment of Obesity. New England Journal of Medicine [Internet]. 2022 Jun 4;387(3). Available from: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2206038

2. Electronic medicines compendium (emc) (2025) Wegovy 0.25 mg, FlexTouch solution for injection in pre-filled pen. Available at: https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/13799/smpc#gref

3. Jordy AB, Albayaty M, Breitschaft A, et al. Effect of oral semaglutide on the pharmacokinetics of levonorgestrel and ethinylestradiol in healthy postmenopausal women and furosemide and rosuvastatin in healthy subjects. Clin Pharmacokinet. 2021;60(9):1171e1185.

4. Kapitza C, Nosek L, Jensen L, Hartvig H, Jensen CB, Flint A. Semaglutide, a once-weekly human GLP-1 analog, does not reduce the bioavailability of the combined oral contraceptive, ethinylestradiol/levonorgestrel. J Clin Pharmacol. 2015 May;55(5):497-504. doi: 10.1002/jcph.443. Epub 2015 Jan 14. PMID: 25475122; PMCID:PMC4418331.

5. Skelley JW, Swearengin K, York AL, Glover LH. The impact of tirzepatide and glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists on oral hormonal contraception. Journal of the American Pharmacists Association. 2023 Nov 1

6. Ozcan Dag Z, Dilbaz B. Impact of obesity on infertility in women. Journal of the Turkish German Gynecological Association [Internet]. 2015 Jun 4;16(2):111–7. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4456969/