While sex drive does come and go, one young woman has had a non-existent libido for the past six months.
In a letter to New Zealand-based relationship psychologist, Robyn Salisbury, the worried 20-year-old said she was still ‘attracted’ to her boyfriend yet had no desire for intimacy.
After noticing that her ‘want’ for sexual pleasure had been absent for more than six months, the woman became concerned that this level of disinterest was not usual for a girl of her age and it had started to impact her relationship.
In a letter to New Zealand based relationship psychologist, Robyn Salisbury, a worried 20-year-old woman said she was still ‘attracted’ to her boyfriend yet had no desire for intimacy (stock)
‘I love my partner and am still largely attracted to him… it’s starting to worry me as I want to be able to fulfil his needs,’ she wrote to Mrs Salisbury as part of her Stuff.co.nz column.
‘I have previously been on a contraceptive pill and thought that the pill may be the reason as it mixes with my hormones; however even since changing it I still have no urge,’ she continued.
So is it really possible that popping a tiny pill could be the reason behind her vanishing sex drive?
According to a 2013 study published in the European Journal of Contraception and Reproductive Healthcare, just 15 per cent of women surveyed reported a significant drop in their libido after starting to take oral contraceptives (stock)
According to a 2013 study published in the European Journal of Contraception and Reproductive Healthcare, just 15 per cent of women surveyed reported a significant drop in their libido after starting to take oral contraceptives.
In her reply, Mrs Salisbury noted that taking the pill impacts every woman differently.
‘When you stop taking it, it can be a while before your hormonal function returns to normal,’ she added, before encouraging the concerned woman to consult with her GP who would be best placed to deal with the query.
The good news is that the vast majority of scientific research finds no link between oral contraceptives and a loss of sex drive.
The hormones in oral contraceptive pills can cause mood swings and changes within the body (stock)
Dr Kristen Mark, a researcher at the Journal of Sexual Medicine, says that a woman’s sexual desire is ‘not fixed’ throughout life and can naturally increase and decrease in waves with age.
‘The message that hormonal pills decrease desire is really prevalent, but our findings are clear: the pill doesn’t kill desire,’ Dr Mark reported.
Mrs Salisbury urged the young woman to remember that libido is governed by a wide variety of different factors and reassured her that ‘tides in desire are normal’.
‘Couples need to discuss each other taking responsibility for their own sexual needs when tides don’t coincide. Your task is to reclaim your body and her sexual energy first for yourself,’ Mrs Salisbury concluded.