Contraception and Body Weight

Publication Date: October 10, 2024

Last Updated: October 18, 2024

Summary of Statements

Evidence-based, person-centered, destigmatized care is essential for patients across all body weights and sizes. As such, clinicians should:

Provide person-centered, unbiased contraceptive care. This includes counseling pregnant-capable individuals on their risk of pregnancy based on sexual practices and contraceptive use regardless of body weight or size.
Utilize evidence-based and person-centered contraceptive counseling to offer the full range of contraceptive methods regardless of body weight or size.
Counsel patients about any risks and benefits associated with body weight and size to assist in their selection of contraceptive methods, including emergency contraception.
Counsel individuals about the potential for weight change, particularly weight gain, associated with contraceptive methods as a possible factor in decision-making.
Counsel individuals regarding the potential impact of weight management approaches, such as bariatric surgery and glucagonlike peptide 1 (GLP-1) agonists, on contraceptive efficacy.