Birth control pill may kill woman's horniness

BOSTON — For more than 40 years, the birth control pill has been called, at times, a miracle, but also a menace. Now doctors have a new warning for women using the pill.

Is The Pill Killing Your Libido?
Women Have Used Birth Control Pills For Over 40 Years

UPDATED: 11:05 a.m. EDT October 6, 2003

BOSTON — For more than 40 years, the birth control pill has been called, at times, a miracle, but also a menace. Now doctors have a new warning for women using the pill.

The pill essentially suppresses ovulation in women, therefore preventing pregnancy. But now doctors suggest it may also be suppressing a woman’s libido.

“(The pill) just caused every physical response to disappear,” said Elizabeth Hartefelis. “I’m still interested mentally, I think about this, but nothing physically will happen.”

Hartefelis, 45, is talking openly about her sex life, or lack thereof. More than a year ago, she began to get night sweats and hot flashes and went to her doctor for what she hoped would be relief.

“Ironically, the doctor then chose to put me on the birth control pill to help straighten out some of the these perimenopausal symptoms, and what it did really was kill off any other desire that I would have had and actually complicated the problem even more,” said Hartefelis.

“The irony of the birth control pill is that it gives freedom from reproductive consequences and there is no sex drive,” said Dr. Irwin Goldstein, director of the Institute for Sexual Medicine at Boston University School of Medicine.

Goldstein has been studying female sexual dysfunction for the past five years.

“Sexual problems have been ignored in women forever. Sexual problems with the birth control pill in particular have been ignored,” said Goldstein.

More than 70 million women use the pill. It prevents pregnancy by not allowing the female body to produce an egg. But Goldstein and his researchers discovered that in some women, no matter their age, the pill also created specific hormonal imbalances.

“What is apparent is that the ovary does more than just make eggs,” said Goldstein. “And the use of the birth control pill in some women shuts off sufficient amount of testosterone.”

Obstetrician and gynecologist Daniele Carusi agrees with Goldstein that testosterone levels in women are linked to their sex drive, but feels this recent data is incomplete.

“I think the biggest limitation is that he was using a set of patients who came into his office with sexual dysfunction. So even the patients who weren’t on the pill had sexual dysfunction,” said Carusi. “Obviously, if the majority of women who took the pill had some serious sexual dysfunction, we probably would have noticed it earlier and tried to change the pill.”

Hartefelis has since come off the pill and is now three months into a six-month testosterone therapy and said the possible side effects are worth it.

“I was willing to risk at this point a few pimples again to have my love life back with my husband. It’s that important,” said Hartefelis.

Carusi also said that some of the new nonoral contraceptives such as the patch or vaginal ring are less likely to affect testosterone levels.

My wife’s been off the pill for several years and still isn’t back to her “pre-pill” condition. Doctors haven’t been much help so far.

MDC

Please explain.

luvadus,
Thanks for asking. She does not get physically aroused sexually to any signifigant degree. It’s better than it used to be, but almost never sufficient to have intercourse without additional lubrication.

Before she went on the pill, she would be aroused and lubricating almost every time from just kissing. Now, it’s pure luck, and no amount of foreplay seems to have any positive effect.

She has not taken a birth control pill since about three years ago. She’s been tested and the doctors say her hormone levels are normal.

Talking about sex in advance or what should happen kills my horniness.

I was on birth control pills for about three months back in 1990. They made me so physically ill that I never used them since then. I have no real response to offer.

For the sake of giving a number… I think she’s been “normally” aroused 2 times in the last 4 years. It’s also possible she just added lubrication, or used Replens, without my knowing.

TT, MDC, this is an interesting issue!

My wife has been on the pill for I guess at least 10 years now. Since we plan to have children (or a child to start with :) ) in the near future she’ll stop taking the pill in maybe a year or so… my additional question is: According to the originally by TT quoted article it sounds as if the supression of physical arousal already starts WHEN being on the pill, not after stopping taking it. MDC only compares pre-pill and after-pill. Could you please add while-pill ? Thanks in advance!

That’s too bad. Sometimes it seems like messing with Mother Natures causes many effects one would not face if they left it to chance alone.

I’ve been relatively lucky. Other than a diaphram(sp), I never really been on any kind of birth control other than a man using a condom. My tubes are now tied and even that has ramifications in its own little way.

I am sorry about your wife. I can be frustrating for a woman not to be able to respond to her husband the way he wants. I can imagine she wants to feel the intimacy that goes with it, yet can’t in the full sense. At least you know your kisses still does it for her. :)

I’ve been with the little lady for 11+ years and this really made me cast my mind back to before the birth of our first son.

She couldn’t get enough ! (never been on the pill)

She then went on the pill for a couple of years and I assumed the huge drop in sex in our relationship was due to post birth conditions whether they were mental or physical or both and apart from talking etc. I certainly never pushed the subject.

In the run up to our second son being conceived her sex drive increased again, but to be honest I put that down to her just wanting to get pregnant again. Again after the birth (number 2 son) she went back on the pill and again sex dropped off (damn and blast).

7-8 years on and we have sex perhaps once a week sometimes once every two and it isnt from lack of trying on my part, I’m sweet, charming, cook and even try the other side being more commanding and a little nasty ;)

Unless she is half cut(slightly drunk) which if once in a blue moon she NEVER makes the first move because she just isnt interested.

She always cums during sex whether during foreplay or intercourse but for the life of me I cant get her to cum more than once, however that in itself should in my opinion get her coming back but it never does.

Seriously I catch myself thinking I must be a really shite lay.

This little story certainly isnt cut and dry blame the pill stuff but it made me consider something I haven’t before and I would like to hear alternates to the pill that isnt condoms because I’ve had 2 break on me in the past (number one son hehe) and I dont think the little soldier could perform given the stress of hoping the damn thing doesnt rip.

brag

L,
It tapered off not long after she got on the pill. At the time, we didn’t think much about it and figured things would go back to normal if she got off the pill. We were happy to have sex without thinking about birth control.

As far as I can tell, this is very common, yet doctors are almost without suggestions other than handing out sample size Astroglide. I’ve read countless similar accounts at obgyn.net and not one of the doctors/nurses participating there has given a reasonable suggestion to improve the problem.

MDC

age can play a role.

general stress levels.

some meds can decrease secretions.

She should feel that sex is just fun time not pressure (not show time ie “how wet will she get or not”).

Damiana has helped my wife with some premenstrual symptoms of moodiness and breast tenderness - it may be of some help here.

Thanks for your reply, MDC! I was just asking because I heard the theory that women might turn away from their men when stopping to take the pill (this old “he smells then different to her” story). This is actually what rumbles in the back of my head wehn this issue comes up. Since I am very satisfied with her sex drive at the moment (while being on the pill) your reply was helpful in this regard - although I think giving birth by itself is a big issue. We do know a couple we’re friends with, and after she gave birth, sex dropped to almost zero… and didn’t recover yet :(

Regarding your sorrows about making her cum only once, I think this aim to make one’s girl cum multiple is very ambitious and not aiming for the girl’s max pleasure but for the man’s max self confidence (same with squirting). I hope Anna will give me some backing here: The majority of women are single orgasmic (IF orgasmic at all!!!), even dislike intimate touching after orgasm because of over sensibility. I’ve been with some women in my life, they all were obviously very happy with our sex, but I never had a multiple orgasmic girl. And I never missed anything, nor did I think they missed anything. I visit some German sexual boards, where many women participate. This issue was discussed, of cause brought up by men - the women on the board throughout replied that these men should be happy to satisfy their women with this one orgasm instead of counting them. It’s not the number, it’s the quality! …so far concerning the “shity lay” ;)

Thanks for that L born, put in that perspective it does make me sound rather selfish which is something I have never considered before (makes sense not to consider it if your being selfish ;) )

I suppose I’ve fallen into some weird way of thinking because there are so many posts (not necessarily on here) saying do this and your girl will be moaning for hours, I am VERY inexperienced having only ever had sex with one girl in my life and tend to take certain kinds of posts to heart a little to much.

So I really appreciate your input.

brag

luvadus,
She’s 37, but her tests did not show any signs of menopause. She enjoys sex, and has orgasms, but the lack of arousal really bothers me. I don’t believe that sex can possibly be as good without arousal(imagining myself having sex without any, or minimal arousal).

If there was something she could take that at least would probably help, then I think she would be interested in taking it. She will not take things that “might” help, even though she knows how this affects me.

brag,
I guess I’m “VERY inexperienced” too despite having sex thousands of times with my wife. ;)

Brag, …indeed this reading on Internet boards is a thread for the peace of mind. The global village is also a global village of extremes, of exaggerations, manipulations and plain fakes as well. There is so much help and inspiration, but also so much danger for self confidence and stuff. I consider it as very important to double check everything within your real world. For example: Someone who looks at cock comparison sites in the Internet should make sure to visit locker rooms, nude beaches or alike. Someone who reads about sexual experiences of others on the web should have at least one or two friends to talk about sex at the same time. This is the only way to bias out the useless crap !