My sex drive could never be considered low, in the classic sense of the term. I’ve always been highly sexual—randy, in fact. Insatiable, even. So when I switched to an IUD, partially as a reaction to my fears of a Trump presidency, partially because my birth control pills had killed my sex drive and gave me migraines, I was worried about what was going to happen to me.
And the first two weeks, postinsertion, I was not down for sex. I felt super gross and uncomfortable—depressing, since my sex drive is something that’s always made me, well, me. But once the symptoms subsided, I was pleased to find that it. Was. On.
Seriously, my libido has been through the damn roof, and that’s saying something coming from me. But why didn’t I know to expect that the horniness that would return with a vengeance? Is a higher sex drive even a legit side effect of an IUD?
I decided to consult the experts, and what I uncovered is that the IUD works with your sex drive in ways that are both purely chemical and even a little psychological. Here’s what I learned:
OK, an IUD isn’t a sexy miracle drug.
First things first: Getting an IUD is not the magic antidote to a low sex drive—it doesn’t contain some secret ingredient that will automatically turn you into a wanton sex goddess. That’s why IUD manufacturers don’t make false promises (and probably why I didn’t know to expect an uptick in my urge to bone). After all, this isn’t some commercial for Fit Tea.
Science already recognizes that birth control in general—not just the IUD—can affect your libido in myriad ways. “Some women do experience a decrease in libido with other forms of hormonal contraception, whether it be pills, patches, or vaginal rings,” says Rebecca Brightman, M.D., an ob-gyn at East Side Women’s Associates in New York City. She says that women often switch to the IUD over other forms of birth control specifically because of the impact their birth control has on their sex drive. The localized hormones in an IUD prevent these adverse effects, leaving you both protected from pregnancy and with a reduced amount of hormones in your body.
So an IUD isn't a libido booster, per se, but rather a better alternative to pills, rings, and patches, which have been shown to negatively affect libido.
The IUD is better for your sex drive than going birth-control-free, at least where peace of mind is concerned.
When I ask one of my girlfriends why she isn’t on the Pill, she always says something about not wanting to pump her body full of hormones because of all the side effects—a big one being low libido.
What you may not even realize is that forgoing a form of reliable birth control altogether can actually cause its own decrease in libido. It may sound counterintuitive, but it’s legit: Lauren Streicher, M.D., associate clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University and author of The Essential Guide to Hysterectomy, told me that the stress of using the pull-out method can mentally weigh on you.
It makes sense: When you think you’re pregnant every time your period is two days late, it causes some serious anxiety, which does not exactly make you feel like having sex all time.
That feeling of freedom you get from an IUD is its own kind of turn-on.
“Many women feel liberated with an IUD,” says Dr. Brightman. “They feel that they can be more spontaneous, they don't have to worry about skipped pills, and they are always protected against pregnancy. The burden of needing contraception is lifted.”
Naturally, this would leave you feeling friskier: When you don’t have to remember to take the Pill or change your patch, you don’t have to worry about screwing up your birth control. The IUD is a stress-free way to ensure that you’re protected 100 percent of the time, no matter how unpredictable or busy your life gets. I love mine, and I’m so glad I got it when I did.
That all said, keep in mind that IUDs do not protect against sexually transmitted infections, so if you’re not in a trusting monogamous relationship, it’s important to use condoms during each and every sexual encounter.
Because safe sex is its own kind of turn-on.
