On social media, there are circulating reports from several women, some of whom have been diagnosed with infertility, who say they have become pregnant. What they have in common is that they have taken Ozempic (which uses semaglutide, the active ingredient that mimics the receptors of the GLP-1 molecule), a drug that came on the market in 2018 and that was only approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, but is also used for weight loss. The same happens with Wegovy and other similar drugs.

A study is currently underway, promoted by Novo Nordisk, which manufactures Ozempic and Wegovy, to assess how these drugs affect pregnant women. However, it will not be completed until 2027. In the meantime, the pharmaceutical company has created a portal so that people can report cases of pregnancy after treatment.

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For now, it is not possible to know whether the antidiabetic drug can lead to birth defects, miscarriage or other adverse events related to pregnancy. However, based on animal studies for the use of Wegovy, the company admitted in a statement that "there may be potential risks to the fetus due to exposure to semaglutide during pregnancy". As such, it calls for the discontinuation of Wegovy at least two months before a planned pregnancy.

For obstetrician and gynecologist Iman Saleh, of the Northwell health system in New York, in the United States, there are some reasons that may explain why an unexpected pregnancy may occur after taking these medications. "Through an indirect mechanism, the weight that people lose with these medications may be making them more fertile," she explains to People magazine.

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"Our fat cells produce estrogen and this hormone can have a negative effect on our ovaries in terms of decreased or dysfunctional ovulation," she explains, reaffirming that "the associated weight loss, even if it is very slight, can increase fertility and facilitate pregnancy".

Changes in the lining of the stomach that result from the use of these drugs can also be pointed out as a possible justification. "As we use this type of medication, which makes people feel fuller, our body's absorption mechanisms change."

Lora Shahin, a reproductive endocrinologist, also told The Washington Post that weight loss can affect ovulation and fertility. "I think that with weight loss, the balance of hormones and the improvement in insulin resistance (...), [women] start ovulating again - they may not have been ovulating for years," says the official, also a professor at the University of Washington, in the United States.

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