Q. I have been taking the oral contraceptive Yaz for about a year now and am wondering if others have had the same issues. I have not seen them mentioned in the ads.
Since starting the drug, I have been less interested in the things that I love. I really am not always interested in sex. When having sex, or better put, during foreplay, it takes forever to get ready, and I’m still not 100 percent there. I also get severe headaches on the week of my reminder pill, and am very grumpy or insecure during that week.
I was under the impression that this drug would help minimize premenstrual distress (PMDD), but I have heard that some people have worse symptoms than when they started the drug. Am I imagining things?
A. Studies published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine (Jan. and Sept. 2006) show that women taking oral contraceptives may have lower libido and less sexual arousal. Apparently, lower levels of testosterone circulate in the bloodstream when women take the Pill. Since testosterone is partly responsible for triggering sexual desire, reducing it may interfere with interest.
We don’t know if other kinds of birth control pills would be less likely to cause you problems. Please discuss this with your doctor and ask whether a different method of birth control would work for you.
