Overview

• Australia’s Department of Health said the TGA’s review found reduced effectiveness of oral contraceptives during tirzepatide initiation or dose escalation could not be excluded.
• The TGA has been notified of six cases of semaglutide exposure in pregnancy, and UK regulators advise Mounjaro users to add barrier contraception.
• A Medical Journal of Australia study reported that about 2.0–2.2% of women became pregnant within six months of starting GLP-1 therapy.
• Only about 21% of new female GLP-1 users reported contraception, and in 2022 most prescriptions went to women without diabetes.
• Clinicians report rising inquiries and unintended pregnancies, note a plausible mechanism of reduced pill absorption from slowed gastric emptying, and recommend stopping GLP-1s one to two months before planned conception.