Could Lead To Muted Orgasms & Painful Intercourse, Says Study
Women who use contraceptive pills may lose their sex drive up to a year after they stop taking it, says a study.
Loss of libido, muted or non-existent orgasms and painful intercourse have long been known as side effects of the pill. A previous research had, however, suggested a woman?s sex drive could return to normal within four weeks of disconnection.
But the seven years study by researchers led by Dr Claudia Panzer, an endocrinologist in Denver, Colorado shows that a chemical produced by the pill to stop ovulation continues to suppress testosterone levels- central to desire in men and women ? for up to a year after women stop taking it, says study.
Women on the pill had four times the level of sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), which stops testosterone from circulation in the body, as those who had never taken the pill, it said.
The research published this month in the Journal of Sexual Medicine was based on 124 premenopausal women attending a clinic for sexual dysfunctions.
Half the women had used the pill, 39 had stopped using it and 23 never taken it. Scientists measured their SHBG levels every three months for a year.
?It is important for physicians prescribing oral contraceptive to point out to patients the potential sexual said effects,? Panzer said. However a spokeswoman for Britain?s Family Planning Association urged caution in interpreting the findings. ?It is difficult to quantify what a person?s sex drive is,? she said.
She added: ?It may be influenced by a range of lifestyle factors. Whether you are stressed, what you have eaten or how much you have drunk can all affect your sex drive. Whether you have children and what ages they are can also have an effect. Our problem is none of these factors was quantified in this research.?
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