Pills do not affect sexual life in general – Uppsala

The finding draws researchers from the University of Uppsala, Linköping University and the Karolinska Institute, among others, in a study published in the journal Endochrinology Connections.

"The measured decrease in sexual desire is statistically assured, but so small that most oral contraceptive users probably do not notice it," says Dr. Cecilia Lundin, PhD student in the Department of Women's and Children's Health. from the University of Uppsala.

The study included 202 young adult women who, by chance, were divided into a group treated with combined pills and a group receiving inoperable pills, called placebo. The pills contained estradiol, a natural estrogen hormone.

– It has long been questioned whether contraceptive pills have an impact on women's sexuality, but few studies have investigated this issue in a controlled manner, as we have done. We are also the first to do it with a modern pill. Previous studies have investigated older types of synthetic estrogen supplements, "said Cecilia Lundin.

Before taking their contraceptive pills or placebo, women completed a comprehensive and frequently used questionnaire at the end of the third and final month of treatment to measure different aspects of sexual function, including sexual satisfaction, lust, the ability to get orgasms, be attractive to the partner and the rate of rapport.

A statistically certain difference between the groups after the three months of treatment is possible only in the case of sexual desire. On a scale where 28 points corresponded to a maximal libido, compared to pre-treatment, women receiving a true contraceptive pill decreased by two points and women receiving a placebo pill by one percentage point.

– However, there were no statistically safe differences in the proportion of women in the two groups who had such low sexual desire to be considered clinically relevant. According to Cecilia Lundin, other factors that the effects of the pill are at the origin of the reduction of sexual desire.

At the same time, she points out that a slight decrease in sexual desire does not have the same meaning for all women.

"For a woman who continues to have high" lust points ", it's not important, but for a woman who, at first, is close to the limit of a reduced sexual desire becomes noticeable, it may be the one that says the wave bowl will tip in. This should be explained to women in contraceptive counseling, "said Cecilia Lundin.

The researchers point out that the new study does not answer all the questions about the influence of hormonal contraceptives such as contraceptive pills on sexual life.

– Further research is needed to determine which hormonal contraceptives work best for women's sexual function, such as studies comparing different types of contraceptives, says Cecilia Lundin.

Footnote: One of the conditions to participate in the study was that in addition to taking their pills, they also used condoms, pessaries or copper coils as protection against pregnancy. Women receiving placebo did not benefit from p protection, but one of them was still pregnant during the study.