Birth control pills are known to prevent pregnancy in women. But according to a new study, it might also be interfering with the women's libido.
A research team from Bonn University recently conducted a study about the connection between hormonal contraceptives and women's sex drive. The researchers concluded that birth control pills might actually lessen the effects of oxytocin or the "love hormone" on women as reported by the Medical Daily.
The research involved 40 heterosexual female participants who say they are very much in love with their romantic partners -- having some of them taking birth control pills at the time of the experiment. The first step of the study involved half of the 40 female participants inhaling a nasal spray with oxytocin while the other half inhaled placebo. All the participants were then asked to score their partners and other men's level of attractiveness.
The next step of the experiment involved the two groups of participants trading places by giving placebo to the women who received the oxytocin nasal spray earlier and giving the nasal spray to those who received placebo earlier. The results revealed that the participants who were not taking birth control pills at the time of the experiment found their partners to be 15 percent more attractive when they were given the oxytocin nasal spray.
On the other hand, the participants who were taking birth control pills at the time of the experiment did not find their partners to be more attractive even when they were given the oxytocin nasal spray.
However, WebMD reports that in a separate research that studied more than 8,000 women on birth control pills, 63 percent showed no change in their libido. Hence, 15 percent said they felt less desired and 22 percent said their sex drive increased. "About 1 in 100 will report it," said Gynecologist Lee Sharma.
