Doctors warn about potential risks, including decreased birth control absorption leading to unintended pregnancies.
Endocrinologist Priya Sumithran suggests weight loss from semaglutide use may improve fertility by regulating menstrual cycles and restoring ovulation.
There is a trend on social media platforms where people claim pregnancies linked to semaglutide-based drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy.
There is a trending topic on social media platforms like TikTok and Twitter, where people announce pregnancies that they claim are linked to the use of semaglutide-based drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy. The phenomenon, coined as '#OzempicBabies,' has sparked curiosity among medical professionals regarding the potential link between weight loss medications and fertility.
Endocrinologist Associate Professor Priya Sumithran from Monash University in Melbourne suggests that weight loss from semaglutide use may improve fertility. According to her, these drugs can help regulate a woman's menstrual cycle and restore ovulation, making it easier for women to conceive.
However, doctors also warn about the potential risks associated with these social media trends. For instance, GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy may decrease the absorption of birth control medications, increasing the risk of unintended pregnancies. Therefore, it is crucial for patients to consult their healthcare providers before making any significant treatment decisions based on social media trends alone.
The Washington Post recently reported on a case series of patients who required medical attention due to dangerous social media trends like 'The Deodorant Challenge.' The article serves as a reminder that not all social media-driven medical myths are harmless and that patients should exercise caution when following such trends without clinical oversight.
We invite you to share any common social media-driven medical myths (or half-myths) you have encountered, whether from patients or while perusing social media yourself. They can be serious or lighthearted.
Women across the country have experienced surprise pregnancies while taking weight loss medications, despite being on birth control or having a history of fertility issues.
Upon stopping these medications cold turkey to protect their baby’s health, some women have reported intense symptoms such as extreme hunger and rapid weight gain.
Quitting weight loss drugs cold turkey may be intensifying the symptoms experienced during pregnancy due to hormonal changes and blood sugar swings.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(30%)
The article contains editorializing and sensationalism. The title 'They got pregnant with 'Ozempic babies‗ and quit the drug cold turkey. Then came the side effects.' implies that there is a problem with women getting pregnant while taking Ozempic, when in fact it may boost fertility for some. The article also uses phrases like 'intense symptoms', 'fierce effects', and 'insatiable hunger' to manipulate emotions and create a sensational narrative. Additionally, the article selectively reports details that support the author's position, such as women gaining significant weight after quitting Ozempic during pregnancy, without mentioning that most women gain between 25 and 35 pounds throughout their pregnancy.
Brierley gained 20 pounds during her first trimester. By the time she gave birth, she had put on 65 pounds.
It’s unclear if pregnancy worsens weight loss medication withdrawal, but fertility and bariatric experts say hormonal changes associated with pregnancy could explain the fierce effects.
Women across the country have been bonding online over their “Ozempic babies” — surprise pregnancies while taking weight loss medications, despite being on birth control or having a history of fertility issues.
In comparison, most women gain anywhere between 25 and 35 pounds throughout their pregnancy.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article discusses the experiences of women who became pregnant while taking weight loss medications and their subsequent withdrawal from those medications. The article does not make any direct logical fallacies in its reporting of these events, but it does present anecdotal evidence without clear context for how common these experiences are. It also presents some potentially misleading comparisons between weight gain during pregnancy and the intensity of symptoms experienced during withdrawal from weight loss medications.
The article suggests that pregnancy worsens weight loss medication withdrawal, but it is unclear if this is a common occurrence or just anecdotal evidence.
The article compares the amount of weight gained during pregnancy for one individual before and after taking Ozempic, implying that the medication caused the increased weight gain. However, there may be other factors at play that are not accounted for in this comparison.
The article quotes a doctor who says that quitting weight loss drugs disrupts systems in your body responsible for blood glucose and appetite control. This statement could be interpreted as implying that pregnancy alone does not have these effects, which is an oversimplification of the complex physiological changes that occur during pregnancy.
Bias
(95%)
The article does not demonstrate any clear bias towards a specific political, religious, ideological or monetary position. However, the author uses language that depicts the women's experiences as extreme and unusual compared to previous pregnancies. This could be seen as an attempt to sensationalize the story.
Brierley gained 20 pounds during her first trimester. By the time she gave birth, she had put on 65 pounds.
It's unclear if pregnancy worsens weight loss medication withdrawal, but fertility and bariatric experts say hormonal changes associated with pregnancy could explain the fierce effects.
She gained 20 pounds in just two months despite continuing a healthy diet and lifestyle.
Some women taking GLP-1 drugs, such as Ozempic and Wegovy, have reported unexpected pregnancies.
Michigan mom Deb Oliviara announced her ‘Ozempic pregnancy’ on TikTok after experiencing a surprise pregnancy.
Doctors suggest that GLP-1 drugs may decrease the absorption of birth control medications, increasing the risk of unintended pregnancies.
Losing weight can help regulate a woman’s menstrual cycle and improve fertility.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(50%)
The article reports on women's claims of getting pregnant while taking GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy. The author does not provide any evidence or peer-reviewed studies to support the claim that these drugs are making women more fertile. Instead, she relies on anecdotal evidence from a few women and quotes from experts who agree with this observation but do not provide any scientific data to back it up. This selective reporting of information without providing the full context or all relevant facts is a form of deception.
Dr. Rachel McConnell, a fertility expert at Columbia University Fertility Center in New York, said she is hearing about Ozempic pregnancies "all the time.#
Dr. Angela Fitch, chief medical officer of knownwell and president of the Obesity Medicine Association, confirmed that the correlation between weight loss and fertility is "well-known."
The term "Ozempic babies" has been coined on TikTok, with many women posting there about their unplanned pregnancies.
