Impact of Contraceptive Type on Sexual Desire of Women and of Men Partnered to Contraceptive Users

Introduction Research investigating the impact of contraceptive use on sexual desire has produced mixed results. This scholarship also has had inconsistent methodology, with some studies not separating contraceptive types and others lacking non-hormonal comparison groups. Relationship context of contraceptive use and sexual behavior also have not been well represented. Aims To investigate the impact of contraceptive type on sexual desire in women and in men who are partnered to contraceptive-using women. Methods In two separate studies we examined the impact of contraceptives on the sexual desire of women currently using contraceptives and men partnered to women using contraceptives. The first study examined the impact of contraceptive type on sexual desire in women and in men partnered to contraceptive users in relationships of different lengths. The second study examined this impact in heterosexual couples in long-term relationships. Main Outcome Measures Solitary and dyadic sexual desire as measured by the Sexual Desire Inventory and contraceptive type as categorized into three types: oral hormonal contraceptive, other hormonal contraceptive, and non-hormonal contraceptive. Results Contraceptive type significantly affected solitary and dyadic desire. Women on non-hormonal contraceptives reported higher solitary sexual desire than women on other hormonal contraceptives. Women on oral hormonal contraceptives reported significantly higher dyadic sexual desire than women on non-hormonal contraceptives. In male partners of female contraceptive users, solitary and dyadic sexual desires were not affected by partner contraceptive type. In the multivariate model, relationship length and age were stronger predictors of contraceptive type than was solitary or dyadic sexual desire. At the couple level, contraceptive type also was not related to solitary or dyadic sexual desire in men and women. Conclusion Contraceptive type can affect solitary and dyadic sexual desire in women; however, contextual factors seem to be stronger predictors of sexual desire for long-term coupled women and men than contraception type.