Posted: January 13, 2017 Contributor: administrator
A Dose of Good News: The Pill Does NOT Kill Your Sex Drive
Oral contraception has come a long way since inception, but like any medication, the pill can come with its share of side effects. However, a recent study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine, says that killing your sex drive is not one of them.
For many years, reduced libido as been considered to be a side effect to birth control, although prior research on the matter has delivered mixed results. A group of researchers at the University of Kentucky and Indiana University sought to find if there was any truth to the theory.
The research
Researchers had over 900 participants fill out the Sexual Desire Inventory, a survey that assessed their sexual drive on a solitary level and with their partners. Participants then listed what type of birth control they were using, ranging from hormonal and non-hormonal methods to oral contraception. Researchers also factored in if the women were in relationships, relationship length, and age.
Survey says…
They found that women who were taking the Pill had higher libido with their partners than those using non-hormonal methods (like condoms and the copper IUD). However, when age and relationship length were factored in, the results were not as conclusive, suggesting that relationships and other factors may be more important than what kind of birth control you use.
What drives your sex drive?
Turns out, a woman’s sex drive is not so black and white. Lead author Kristen P. Mark, Ph.D. MPH, told Yahoo Beauty, “Yes, hormones play a role in sexual desire, but so do so many other things! So, ignoring the context and trying to pinpoint one thing to attribute low (or high) desire to is shortsighted.” What does this mean for you? You can take your pill with the assurance that you can still have a great libido. If you aren’t in the mood (it happens), just remind yourself of all the amazing health benefits!