Birth control warning for women on ‘skinny jabs’ including Ozempic and Mounjaro
Women have been issued a serious health warning over the use of “skinny jabs”, with some warned they just shouldn’t use them.
On Thursday, the UK government’s medicine watchdog issued a new guidance on the use of weight-loss and diabetes medications, including Ozempic and Mounjaro, reminding women about the importance of effective contraception while taking them.
It said the injections could make contraceptives less effective and pose a potential risk to unborn and breastfeeding babies.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.“These medicines must not be taken during pregnancy, while trying to get pregnant, or during breastfeeding,” the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency guidance reads.
“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.”
The regulator has received more than 40 reports relating to pregnancy among women on the drugs, to date: 26 in Mounjaro users, one for an unintended pregnancy, and eight in relation to semaglutide, the active ingredient in both Ozempic and Wegovy.
The reports related to pregnancy, recorded by medics and patients, include problems such as birth defects, miscarriages, and unplanned pregnancies, Daily Mail reports.
The regulator said while the advice was contained in leaflets that come with the medicines, it was aware some people were still not using the jabs safely.
The advice applies to GLP-1 medicines known by the brand names Ozempic, Mounjaro, Wegovy, Saxenda and Victoza.
While the pill, implants, coil and condoms were all considered good contraceptive options, the agency warned Mounjaro, considered the King Kong of weight loss jabs, may reduce the effectiveness of the pill for women who are overweight.
Those women have been advised to double up on their contraception and use the pill and one other non-oral option.
“This only applies to those taking Mounjaro and is especially important for the four weeks after starting Mounjaro and after any dose increase,” the guidance reads.
Alison Cave, the agency’s chief safety officer, also warned patients of the danger of buying the medications from unregulated sellers, such as beauty salons or social media.
She said not only was it against the law, it exposed people wanting to lose weight to serious health risks.
“Skinny jabs are medicines licensed to treat specific medical conditions and should not be used as aesthetic or cosmetic treatments. They are not a quick fix to lose weight and have not been assessed to be safe when used in this way,” she said.
