A study has recently shown that taking oral contraceptives can have a significant impact on your sex life.
Researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and the University of New Mexico conducted a study on the effects of different oral contraceptives on the sex lives of women. The results, published in the Evolution & Human Behavior journal found that in general, women taking oral contraceptives were having more sex.
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This makes sense from a birth control perspective, however is curious given that a common side effect of taking the pill is a decreased sex drive.
The study also looked into how the balance of different hormones in oral contraceptives affected the amount of sex women were having.
Naturally, a woman’s menstrual cycle is governed by estrogen and progesterone, with estrogen levels peaking at ovulation (along with sex drive) and progesterone levels peaking just before a woman’s period.
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Oral contraceptives naturally mimic these hormones, however some contain higher levels of estrogen or progesterone than others.
The study found that women using contraceptives with a higher level of estrogen had more sex with casual partners. However, women using contraceptives with a higher level of progesterone had more sex in a longterm relationship.
It’s certainly given more insight into how the pill affects your sex drive!