Since they hit the market in 1960, birth control pills have given women the freedom to have sex with neither a high risk of getting pregnant nor the physical disruption of condoms. Newer options like implants and rings now make it even easier to choose when you get pregnant, and when you don’t.
It’s ironic, then, that at some point you might not want to have sex as often as you did. If that bothers you, know that you can keep your libido fired up. First take a good look at your physical, emotional and relationship health to make sure another issue isn’t dampening your desire. Then, if you’re still experiencing this challenge, see if you have the right birth control method for you.
Maybe the Real Problem Is …
Sex drive is a very complicated issue. Many, many matters can affect it. Before you change your birth control choice, look closely at other factors that are likely causing your sexuality to simmer down.
- Your state of mind. For women, the brain is the No. 1 sex organ. Ask yourself what your relationship is like, if your partner is expressing loving feelings in a way that works for you, and if you’re emotionally comfortable with things as they are.
- Your age. Your sex drive might decrease as you get older, no matter what form of birth control you use. Especially from 40 on, you might start having bladder-control issues, fatigue or side effects from other medications. In addition, if you’ve started having hot flashes, maybe you’re beginning menopause.
- Related emotional or physical issues. Have you had arousal issues in the past? Take a serious look at what your sex drive has been like over the years and try to identify emotional, psychological or physiological factors that might have made you less interested in intimacy.
- Your energy level. If you have new baby, a toddler sleeping in your bed, a stressful job or a loss you’re grieving, those, too, can cut down the carnal instinct.
Even if your lust stays alive, age, and some birth control pills, can cause you to create less vaginal lubrication even when you do feel aroused. Dry vaginal tissue can make intercourse uncomfortable, which in turn can make you less interested in sex.
In rare cases, vaginal dryness may be associated with progestin in pills such as drospirenone, desogestrel or norgestimate. These might cause less blood to flow toward your vagina, resulting in less fluid coating your insides when you’re aroused.
Some pills can also dry your vaginal lips and other tissue around the opening to your vagina, which is known as vestibulodynia. However, the combination pills containing estrogen are more likely to prevent this issue instead of causing it.
Again, don’t let this information scare you away from birth control pills. Once you identify this challenge, you can try another type of pill. You may have to give a few pills a chance before you find the right one. You can also use cooking oil or a commercial lubricant to make penetration hurt less or not at all.
Understanding the Pill-Libido Connection
Most birth control pills are made with estrogen and progestin, although some are made of only progestin. Among the 100 or so products on the market, all are highly likely to keep you from getting pregnant if you follow the instructions carefully.
If you notice your passion waning after starting a prescription, the specific pill you take might be the cause. If you suspect it is, ask your doctor about the ingredients. Birth control pills rarely affect sex drive, but when they do the situation is generally tied to pills made with certain formulas.
Combined oral contraceptive pills, known as COCs, are made with both estrogen and progestin. Essentially, the pills may lower your testosterone level, which in turn might make you feel less sexual, or sexual less often. Likewise, pills with only a little bit of estrogen might lead to less lust, so if your mojo is missing in action, ask about switching to a version that contains more estrogen.
Switching to a different type of birth control pill is a simple fix, but these problems are so rare that the information isn’t always included in the literature manufacturers send to medical practitioners.
To complicate matters, you might notice the change in your urges right away or not for a year.
Birth control pills are an excellent way to avoid unwanted pregnancy, but, like any pharmaceutical product, certain pills might cause side effects.
Look first to your state of mind, your relationships, your energy level and your exhaustion. Address those first. If all the physical and emotional boxes are checked and you still think your birth control pills may be affecting your libido, talk to your OB-GYN. Together, you can pinpoint possible causes and change to another, still effective, pill or other birth control method such as an IUD, ring or implant.
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