The low rate of contraception among women prescribed GLP-1 receptor agonists is raising the risk of unplanned pregnancies, Australian researchers say.

Amid patient anecdotes of unplanned pregnancies while using GLP‐1 receptor agonists (RAs), the research team, led by Adelaide’s Flinders University, reviewed GP data from 662 practices from 2011 to 2022.

They found that 18,000 women aged 18–49 were prescribed GLP-1 RAs, but only 3800 were prescribed contraception — just 21%.

Even as evidence mounted that the drugs caused weight loss, which is linked to higher fertility, the rate of contraception prescribing remained steady over the study period, for women with and without diabetes.