Does Birth Control Affect Sex Drive?

Amber’s question this week is, "Can birth control pills lower my sex drive?"

The answer to that is, "Yes, anything that manipulates your hormones can affect your sex drive negatively or positively." This includes hormone injections, patches, rings or implants.

Birth control prevents ovulation by blocking certain surges in hormone levels that signal the body to ovulate an egg. If an egg isn’t available for fertilization, then pregnancy will not occur but these hormone surges also regulate a woman's sexual desire.

Sexual desire rises during the hormone surges that cause ovulation. This makes sense because that is the best time to get pregnant and propagate the species. If women have been on birth control for many years, it can have a profound effect on their sexual desire, leaving them and their partners frustrated.

This is why so many women have been choosing non-hormonal forms of reversible birth control (like the newer IUD's or condoms), or permanent forms (like Essure or tubal ligation).

Of course, sexual desire is a complicated combination of many things. It can be physical, physiological or hormonal. It can also have a lot to do with what is going on in the relationship. If a woman feels comfortable and beautiful and there is good communication, then that can help.

Once off the pill for one month, it is a good idea to have your hormone levels checked to be sure your body has adjusted back to its normal balance.

You may also want to do everything you can to feel fresh, clean and confident (in the bedroom and in everyday activities). A natural, safe way to help is WaterWorks. This douching alternative has completely cured so many women of troublesome vaginal odor, some of whom struggled with the issue since puberty! Feminine odor can be an embarrassing struggle that destroys women’s confidence, because no matter what they do, the odor never goes away.

WaterWorks is like a douching system, but it uses only plain tap water that gently flows through a reusable medical grade stainless steel nozzle inside the vagina to gently rinse away odor-causing elements. This reaction totally removes all vaginal odor and excess discharge. It can be used everyday when you shower, and used before sex to feel fresh and clean and after to rinse out semen. I know you will love it and you’ll want to tell all your friends about it.