Wednesday, August 24, 2005
Don't Take Birth Control or it'll Make You Not Want Sex
According to a recent study
Oral contraceptives have been shown to increase the amount of sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) - a protein produced in the liver that lowers testosterone levels, thereby reducing sexual drive.
It is well known that taking the Pill can reduce levels of sex hormones that drive libido. However, most doctors advise that this effect is reversed when a woman stops taking the contraceptive.
Researchers at Boston University found that women still had double the normal level of SHBG in their blood a year after stopping the Pill.
Dr Claudia Panzer, an endocrinologist at the Boston University Medical Centre and lead researcher on the study, said: "These results suggest that the hormonal changes induced by oral contraceptives are not immediately reversible after discontinuation of oral contraceptive use.
Oral contraceptives have been shown to increase the amount of sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) - a protein produced in the liver that lowers testosterone levels, thereby reducing sexual drive.
It is well known that taking the Pill can reduce levels of sex hormones that drive libido. However, most doctors advise that this effect is reversed when a woman stops taking the contraceptive.
Researchers at Boston University found that women still had double the normal level of SHBG in their blood a year after stopping the Pill.
Dr Claudia Panzer, an endocrinologist at the Boston University Medical Centre and lead researcher on the study, said: "These results suggest that the hormonal changes induced by oral contraceptives are not immediately reversible after discontinuation of oral contraceptive use.
