Mounjaro (tirzepatide) is a prescription medication that can help adults and children ages 10 and older manage type 2 diabetes. However, if you are pregnant or planning to get pregnant, a healthcare professional may recommend stopping Mounjaro, as there isn’t much information about how it can affect human pregnancies.

If you discover you’re pregnant while using Mounjaro, contact a healthcare professional. They will help you decide if you should stop the medication, as it is generally only used during pregnancy if the potential benefit (managing diabetes) justifies the risk to the fetus.

It’s important to manage your diabetes in other ways, as untreated high blood sugar during pregnancy can lead to serious complications like preeclampsia, birth abnormalities, or pregnancy loss.

Unplanned pregnancies can occur because Mounjaro changes how your body absorbs other medications. Because the drug delays gastric emptying (slows down how fast your stomach clears), it can make oral birth control pills less effective.

To prevent an unplanned pregnancy while taking Mounjaro, healthcare professionals recommend:

  • switching to a non-oral birth control method, such as a patch or ring
  • using a barrier method, such as condoms, for 4 weeks after you first start the medication
  • adding backup protection for 4 weeks every time your dosage increases

Mounjaro has an elimination half-life of about 5 days, meaning it takes 5 days for the amount of the drug in your body to reduce by half. After around 30 days, the drug is almost completely eliminated from your body. However, everyone metabolizes the drug differently, and these times can vary.

You should talk with a healthcare professional if you are planning to become pregnant so they can help you transition to a safer treatment plan.

It’s not known whether Mounjaro affects fertility (the biological ability to conceive).

In animal studies, tirzepatide (Mounjaro’s active ingredient) didn’t affect fertility in male animals. But some female animals showed signs of reduced fertility. These signs may have been related to decreased food intake and body weight. However, animal studies don’t always reflect how drugs affect humans.

If you’re taking Mounjaro and plan to get pregnant or you discover you’re pregnant, discuss your options with a healthcare professional.

Disclaimer

Healthline has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication.

The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.