After watching the video clip, I would like to ask my beautiful ladies who are using birth control pills right now if you are experiencing any decrease in sex drive?
I for one am not ashamed to admit that I am experiencing a loss of libido ever since I started using the pill. Initially, I was just like Marilyn in the video clip. I thought I lost interest to having sex with my boyfriend because we were having tough times. However, even after our troubles, I still have not regained my sex drive at all.
Therefore, as the truth blogger, I DEMAND THE TRUTH! I want to know whether taking birth control pills actually causes a loss of sex drive!
A picture speaks a thousand words. I can totally imagine that both ladies are frustrated about their loss of libido. More yet, one of the husbands have already even fallen asleep, most likely because the woman was just not interested in having sex tonight. (Poor guy!)
Take a look at Video#2: The Pill and Libido Part One
So, what do the two videos have in common?
The mentioning of the function of progesterone and estrogen, and a woman’s making of Testosterone and Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG).
The first video explained that Estrogen causes an increase in the protein called “Sex Hormone Binding Globulin,” which is a protein that binds testosterone in the plasma. When there is increase concentration of this protein, it also absorbs testosterone from the bloodstream. Testosterone is what we believe to be a major player in sex drive, sexual function, arousal, and orgasm (DiscoveryHealth, 2008).
In the second video, Dr. Yvonne K. Fulbright also mentioned that every month when ovulation occurs, the ovaries actually make excess testosterone. For women who are taking oral contraceptive, they do not have active ovaries so testosterone normally made there is not secreted. The pill does not only reduce testosterone production, it encourages the liver to produce a protein called Sex Hormone Binding Globulin which hinders the testosterone’s effects, and possibly explaining why sexual drive and arousal is affected by the pill (SexHealthGuru, 2008).
AND … How does this relate to sexual health?
Just as I learned in my Kins 140 Lecture, “Health is the complete state of physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” (Bedoya, May 10th, 2011, Lecture 1). To me, sexual health means how sex affects health and how health is related to sex. To be sexually healthy, a person must be in a complete state of physical, mental, and social well-being in relation to having a healthy sexual life.
A definition provided by Health Canada (2006) depicts sexual health as “a vital and integral part of your overall health and well-being throughout your life, integrating the emotional, physical, cognitive and social aspects of sexuality.”
When I am not having a healthy sexual life because of the effect of birth control pills have in decreasing my sex drive, I become mentally and sexually unhealthy. Having to constantly put myself in a dilemma to choose to take the pill but to also lose my sex drive simultaneously or not take the pill but cause an increase in chances of getting pregnant when I have sex is DRIVING ME CRAZY.
This is also not healthy for my social well-being. I am unable to live a purposeful and enjoyable life when I cannot satisfy my needs and my boyfriend’s needs sexually (Bedoya, May 10th, 2011, Lecture 1).
By no means am I here to persuade you to stop using the pill because of the potentiality of losing sexual drive because not all ladies who take the pill loses their sexual drive.
So, what is the solution?
Find the right pill for your body! Talk to your physician, tell him or her your concerns about loss of libido and ask your physician to recommend the right pill for you. For example, to help Marilyn’s problem, in the first video posted, Dr. Taz Varkey suggested bringing down the estrogen levels in her pill and finding progesterone that has some testosterone-like activity. Some progesterone has more testosterone-like activity than others (DiscoveryHealth, 2008). If you are unsure whether you want to continue to taking the pill now, consult your physician anyways and discuss about alternative contraceptive methods that best suit your needs! Remember ladies, it is your sexual health which is the most important!
With love,
The Truth Blogger
-------------------------------------Reference
Bedoya, B. (2011). Contemporary Health Issues Lecture 1, delivered at Simon Fraser
University on May 10th, 2011.
DiscoveryHealth (2008, November 05). Sex and Iintimacy- Sex and the Pill. [Video File].
Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnwgS22SBGQ
Health Canada. (2006, February 02). Sexual health and promotion. Retrieved from
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hl-vs/sex/index-eng.php
SexHealthGuru (2008, August 25). The Pill and Libido Part One. [Video File]. Retrieved
from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AI3CE0dDXg&feature=related
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