When cycles come back after contraception
Evidence last assessed 2026-10-14.
In short
- What the research shows
- It depends on the method: about a month after the pill, much longer after the injection.
- What it doesn't show
- These are average timetables, not a prediction for you.
- Cycles
- Fertility
See studies and method
What the evidence says
The answer is method-specific. After the pill, cycles usually come back within about a month or two: in one trial of 187 women stopping a continuous pill, the median time to a first period was 32 days. After a hormonal IUD, periods came back in 651 of 652 women evaluated. After the last injection, the two labels give two different measures: for the intramuscular injection, among women who conceived, the median time to pregnancy was about 10 months; for the subcutaneous injection, in a small study of 15 women, the median time to ovulation was about 10 months.
In one trial of 187 women stopping a continuous pill, the median time to a first period was 32 days, and almost all had a period (or were pregnant) within 3 months. A second study, of 70 recent pill users matched with 70 women who had not been taking it, found cycle signs stayed a little different for at least the first two cycles. In the main trial of one 52 mg hormonal IUD, 651 of 652 women evaluated resumed periods after removal. After the last intramuscular depot injection, among women who conceived, the median time to pregnancy was 10 months, and 93% of them conceived within 18 months. After the last subcutaneous injection, in a small study of 15 women, the median time to ovulation was 10 months, and the earliest was 6 months.
What this does not show
These are average timetables, not a prediction for you and not a diagnosis. The injection figures are two different measures: time to pregnancy among women who conceived (intramuscular label), and time to ovulation in a small study of 15 women (subcutaneous label). Neither says anything about your own chances. The groups studied were not women with the condition, and cycles that were irregular before contraception may return to that irregular normal, not to a textbook cycle. The pill figures come from one trial of a continuous pill, and the 651-of-652 figure is one trial of one device. If your cycle has passed these windows, that is a reason to get it looked at, and pregnancy is one of the first things a clinician will rule out.
Sources, as Neta holds them
Davis AR, Kroll R, Soltes B, Zhang N, Grubb GS, Constantine GD. Occurrence of menses or pregnancy after cessation of a continuous oral contraceptive. Fertil Steril. 2008;89(5):1059-63. PMID: 17658522. https://profiles.rush.edu/display/204660
marketing.learn.design.single_arm_trial · 187 participants · 90 days observed
Nassaralla CL, Stanford JB, Daly D, Schneider M, Schliep KC, Fehring RJ. Characteristics of the menstrual cycle after discontinuation of oral contraceptives. J Womens Health (Larchmt). 2011;20(2):169-77. doi:10.1089/jwh.2010.2001
People compared with each other · 140 participants
LILETTA (levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system) 52 mg. US Prescribing Information. Revised 06/2023. Section 5.8. https://www.rxabbvie.com/pdf/Liletta_pi.pdf
Guideline synthesis · 652 participants
Pfizer. DEPO-PROVERA CI (medroxyprogesterone acetate injectable suspension) [prescribing information]. Revised 12/2025. Section 5.15. https://labeling.pfizer.com/ShowLabeling.aspx?id=522
Guideline synthesis
Pfizer. DEPO-SUBQ PROVERA 104 (medroxyprogesterone acetate injectable suspension, for subcutaneous use) [prescribing information]. Revised 7/2024. Section 5.8. Available from: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2024/021583s040lbl.pdf
Guideline synthesis · 15 participants