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Topics: Advice, Explained, Health, Life, Pregnancy, Science, Sex and Relationships, Women's Health, Periods
Rhiannon Ingle
Topics: Advice, Explained, Health, Life, Pregnancy, Science, Sex and Relationships, Women's Health, Periods
Can taking birth control impact your romantic relationships?
Whether it's used as a contraceptive method, to regulate menstrual cycles, to balance hormonal acne or whatever else, chances are, you yourself or someone you know has taken the contraceptive pill.
Now, as we know, there are a whole load of different birth control pills that affect everyone differently when it comes to symptoms, effectiveness and so-on but one thing many people who take it have reported experiencing is a decrease in attraction to their partner.
But what's the science behind this commonly-experienced side-effect and why on earth does it seemingly happen in the first place?
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The NHS explains that the contraceptive pill, also referred to as just 'the pill', is a hormonal type of contraception that prevents pregnancy by stopping the ovaries releasing an egg each month.
It can also help with acne, heavy or painful periods, PMS (premenstrual syndrome) and endometriosis.
Well, sexual and reproductive health specialist Dr Deborah Lee at Dr Fox Online Pharmacy, reiterates that 'contraceptive hormones are artificial oestrogens and progesterones which work by suppressing ovulation'.
"It stands to reason they may have some impact on many aspects of a woman's sexual function, including her libido," she told Cosmopolitan.
"However, whether taking the contraceptive pill can affect which mate a woman is attracted to is unknown."
Dr Lee adds that research on such subject matter can often return conflicting results but, with that said, it's not totally out of the question that contraceptives may play some part in who we do or do not find attractive.
She cited one study which saw a group of straight women digitally edit an image of a man's face so that it looked like their desired partner.
They did this twice: once before starting the pill, and then again, after taking the pill for three months.
Interestingly, on the second occasion, the women seemed to prefer blokes with fewer features stereotypically associated with masculinity.
However, when they were mid-cycle, 'women have been shown to prefer more masculine features', according to the doc.
Unfortunately, there's not one neat answer to this age-old wonder.
However, Dr Lee explains: '"In a 2014 study, researchers followed 118 newlywed couples for four years. They were asked to regularly record how satisfied they were with their relationship and their use of the contraceptive pill.
"Women who had been on the pill at the beginning and then stopped went on to record that their relationships were less satisfying, independent of how they rated their husband's appearance."
"Other research has shown that the sense of smell is important when looking for a mate," Dr Lee continues. "If the pill affects the sense of smell, this could be detrimental to relationships. We know that the sense of smell alters in pregnancy, and the pill mimics pregnancy.
"When a group of women were asked to sniff out their perfect mate from sniffing a pile of T-shirts, those on the pill were more likely to choose a mate with a similar genetic makeup to themselves, than those not on the pill. This could explain why women find their partners less attractive when they stop taking the pill."
With all that said, however, the expert highlights ''it's very unlikely modern contraceptive use is playing any significant part in who a woman finds attractive'.
Dr Lee assures that sexual attraction 'relies on so many things', noting that your contraception is just 'one tiny part'.
"I would suggest if you're having difficulties with your sex life, you need to find a way to talk openly and honestly to each other about it," she suggested "Work on the physical relationship, and enjoy spending time doing fun things together."
She continued to warn that women 'should not stop their pill in a panic', adding: "It is true that the pill can result in lower levels of free testosterone and some women complain of loss of libido.
"If this is an issue, a woman should discuss this with her GP or at the sexual health clinic. Loss of libido is less common in those who use the vaginal ring, the progesterone pill, the implant, or the IUS/IUD."
The doc concludes that, for anyone out there concerned about the effect of theur contraceptive on sexual function, go and speak to your GP or visit the Sexual Health Clinic.
"I would strongly advise you not to just stop your pill and throw caution to the wind," she said. "There are 15 methods of contraception and there is something out there for every woman."