Hormonal birth control pills
Hormonal birth control pills have been the most popular contraceptives for over thirty years. Out of the 44,000+ studies done on these pills, only 1% seem to focus on its effect on sexuality and women’s sexual drive. Some have given positive reviews, but many indicate that there is some risk of decreasing libido and other sexual complications.
How can a drug with so much research still affect women’s libido?
It is hard to define sex drive and pleasure. And our understanding of women’s sexual anatomy is not conclusive.
Most of these pills have estrogen and progesterone. The ingredients composition varies, and dosages have become smaller over time. The difference in chemical composition and the dosages (days pill is taken) can change a woman’s sexual desire. Drugs that have additional hormone-containing doses are likely to increase libido. Also, low estrogen quantities had an impact on sex drive, but high volumes didn’t change a thing.
Birth control pills primarily alter a woman’s pituitary gland to stop ovulation. These pills also work by reducing androgens such as testosterone. Naturally, women produce extra androgens, and even after contributing to their sexual functioning, there is always some surplus. It means that even if the Pill inhibits androgen production, it will not precisely affect a woman’s libido. Low sexual desire may only result if the woman’s levels of androgen are low from the start.
One thing that is not yet still understood even among doctors is how testosterone impact on female libido. Women with excess testosterone do not automatically have an increase in libido. But women with reportedly low libido have sometimes improved from supplements of the same.
According to Contraceptive Technology, the number of women that experience low libido from the Pill is usually inflated. They concluded that only 5% of the 10 million known users in America experience these side effects. However, other comparisons show different rates when it comes to this decline in sexual potency. The numbers from others are not alarmingly high, but they range from thrice to seven times the percentage given by Contraceptive Technology.