GLP-1 and Birth Control: What the Labels Say

Last updated October 20, 2026

Short answer: The tirzepatide labels (Mounjaro and Zepbound) say the medication may make oral hormonal birth control less effective, and advise switching to a non-oral method or adding a barrier method for 4 weeks after starting and for 4 weeks after each dose increase. The semaglutide labels (Ozempic and Wegovy) do not carry that warning. The Zepbound and Wegovy labels say to stop when a pregnancy is recognized, and the semaglutide labels advise stopping at least 2 months before a planned pregnancy.

Tirzepatide and oral birth control

Both the Zepbound and Mounjaro labels say tirzepatide delays stomach emptying and may reduce the effectiveness of oral hormonal contraceptives. The delay is largest after the first dose and fades over time, which is why the advice is tied to starting and to each dose increase.

The label bases this on a drug interaction study. After a single 5 mg dose of tirzepatide, the peak blood levels of a combined birth control pill's ethinyl estradiol, norgestimate and norelgestromin were reduced by 59%, 66% and 55%, and total exposure was reduced by 20% to 23%, with a delay of 2.5 to 4.5 hours. The label does not give a pregnancy rate, so how much real-world protection is lost is unknown.

Semaglutide and birth control

The Wegovy label lists no contraception warning. It says that in clinical pharmacology studies, semaglutide showed no clinically significant differences in the pharmacokinetics of ethinyl estradiol and levonorgestrel. The Ozempic label includes an oral contraceptive (ethinylestradiol and levonorgestrel) in its drug interaction study and lists no contraception warning. The Wegovy label also says semaglutide delays stomach emptying and could affect the absorption of other oral medicines, so mention all your medicines to your prescriber.

Pregnancy and planning a pregnancy

• Wegovy and Ozempic: the labels say to discontinue at least 2 months before a planned pregnancy, because semaglutide has a long half-life and takes a long time to clear.
• Zepbound: the label says weight loss offers no benefit to a pregnant patient and may cause fetal harm, and to discontinue Zepbound when a pregnancy is recognized.
• Wegovy for weight reduction: the same, discontinue when pregnancy is recognized.
• Zepbound and Wegovy both have pregnancy exposure registries that monitor outcomes for people who were exposed during pregnancy.
• Tell your prescriber if you are pregnant or intend to become pregnant. The Zepbound label says available human data are insufficient to evaluate a drug-related risk, and that animal studies showed fetal growth reductions and abnormalities.

We do not cover fertility or breastfeeding here. Those are individual decisions for you and your prescriber.

Questions for your prescriber

• I use birth control. Should I switch methods, or add condoms, while starting and increasing my dose?
• I am planning a pregnancy in the next year. When should I stop, and what is the plan afterward?
• How should my other medicines be monitored while my stomach emptying is slower?

See our tirzepatide dosage chart for when dose increases happen, since the 4-week window restarts each time, and is GLP-1 safe? for the wider safety picture.