Several papers, including the Daily Mail and the Daily Telegraph, have covered the story that scientists have published a study indicating that taking the contraceptive pill can lower a woman’s sex drive.
Scientists from the German institute the University of Heidelberg have published findings in the Journal of Sexual Medicine estimating that women taking hormonal contraception were more likely to suffer from female sexual dysfunction, a condition characterised by low sexual desire. This is sometimes described as Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder.
1,086 women were recruited for the study, most of whom had been sexually active during the preceeding month. As is usual with studies investigating FSD, they were asked to fill in questionnaires on their levels of sexual activity and sexual satisfaction over the past month. The team then analysed the data in relation to what contraception methods they used.
They discovered that especially compared to those using condoms, women taking the pill suffered from higher levels of sexual dysfunction.
The team have suggested that this data could have big implications for younger women. However they warned that the results should be interpreted with caution, as they do not demonstrate ‘causality but rather association’.