Society of Family Planning Committee Statement: Contraception and body weight

Abstract

Understanding the relationship between contraception and body weight is an important clinical consideration. Body weight and size has the potential to affect fertility and the effectiveness of some contraceptive methods, although historically this association has not been applied within a person-centered context that would allow individuals to select their preferred contraceptive method. Further, individuals with higher body weights and larger sizes have unmet contraceptive care and counseling needs. This document aims to provide evidence-based, person-centered, and equity-driven recommendations that destigmatize contraceptive care across all body weights. Clinicians should: provide person-centered, unbiased contraceptive care, including 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; and counsel individuals regarding the potential impact of weight management approaches, such as bariatric surgery and glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) agonists, on contraceptive efficacy.

Keywords: Body size; Body weight; Contraception; Patient-centered; Weight gain; Weight management.