Weight Gain Associated with Contraceptive Methods

Hormonal Contraceptive Methods

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists suggests that hormonal IUDs may affect body composition, with a 2.5% increase in body fat mass and a 1.4% decrease in lean body mass compared to non-hormonal IUD users 1, 2

Copper IUDs are considered weight-neutral, with users experiencing approximately the same weight gain as the average female population 1, 2
Barrier methods, such as condoms and diaphragms, are considered weight-neutral 1, 2
Surgical sterilization methods, including tubal ligation and hysteroscopic sterilization, are weight-neutral 1, 2

Individual responses to hormonal contraceptives vary considerably, and some women may be more susceptible to weight changes than others 1, 2
For women concerned about weight gain, copper IUDs, barrier methods, and surgical sterilization are the most weight-neutral options 1, 2

Adolescents with obesity who use DMPA appear to be at higher risk for weight gain compared to normal-weight DMPA users, normal-weight non-users, and obese COC users 3, 4
Women with obesity are generally not more likely to gain weight with COCs, vaginal rings, IUDs, or implants than their normal-weight peers 3, 4
Women who have undergone bariatric surgery may experience decreased effectiveness of oral contraceptives due to malabsorption issues, but weight effects should be similar 3, 4

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recognizes that whether hormonal intrauterine devices are truly weight-neutral requires additional investigation 5
There is no clear evidence of significant weight change associated with levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine systems like Kyleena 5

The Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine recommends LARC methods like Kyleena for women at high risk for medical complications, as the benefits of preventing unintended pregnancy outweigh potential side effects 6, 7

Reproductive-aged women gain weight more rapidly than other age groups, with an average weight gain of 6.3kg over 10 years, independent of contraceptive use, as reported by the Current Obesity Reports 8