A rising number of patients using weight-loss injections are reporting on social media they are becoming pregnant despite using contraception.
The reports have sparked fears of an unplanned-baby boom and given rise to the popular term “Ozempic babies”.
Now the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has urged women having “skinny jabs” to use another means of contraception to prevent accidental pregnancies.
The agency’s experts have also stressed that it’s not known whether weight-loss drugs could harm a baby – and so they warned they must not be used during pregnancy, while trying to conceive or during breastfeeding.
And they say anyone who becomes pregnant while using the weight-loss jabs should stop using them immediately.
So-called GLP-1 medicines are known by brand names Ozempic, Mounjaro, Wegovy, Saxenda and Victoza.
How do the drugs work?
Ozempic, which was introduced into the UK in January 2019, having previously been approved in the US in 2017, is an injectable prescription drug. Ozempic and Mounjaro are used to manage sugar levels of diabetes patients. Weight loss is a side-effect, which has caused it to surge in popularity.
The active ingredient is a molecule called semaglutide, which causes feelings of fullness while delaying the emptying of the stomach, making people feel less hungry and therefore less likely to overeat.
Wegovy is also based on semaglutide.
Some people report suffering bloating and gastrointestinal discomfort while using them.
Do weight loss jabs affect fertility?
One study found that menstrual cycles became more regular in 80 per cent of women who lost weight with semaglutide.
As weight loss itself can improve menstrual irregularities, it may also increase the chance of pregnancy.
Some experts have suggested weight-loss drugs may reduce absorption of the contraceptive pill.
They believe that because the drugs slow down absorption of food, it may also slow down the absorption of medication, including birth control.
“Ozempic may interfere with the absorption of oral contraceptives, which can reduce their effectiveness and lead to an unwanted pregnancy,” pharmacist Jamie Winn told Newsweek.
Is it safe to take weight-loss jabs while pregnant?
Government watchdog the MHRA has warned: “These medicines must not be taken during pregnancy, while trying to get pregnant or during breastfeeding.
“Anyone who gets pregnant while using them should speak to their healthcare professional and stop the medicine as soon as possible.
“This is because there is not enough safety data to know whether taking the medicine could cause harm to the baby.”
It says women should take GLP-1 medicines only if they have been prescribed by a healthcare professional.