Does the birth control pill lower your sex drive?
It really depends on the medication you take. Some birth control pills lower sex drive, and others do not. It is all about side effects and individual bodies. Your body reacts to different chemicals in unique ways. 
But, it seems like it is more likely that the birth control pill can cause lowering of your sex drive. In Fitnessmagazine.com, Wendy Rodewald writes, According to some women who have experienced a drop in sex drive while on the pill, the answer is yes. Lisa*, a 33-year-old Web designer from New York City, blames oral contraceptives for a year-long libido malfunction she experienced after moving in with her now-husband. "When I realized I had no drive at all, I talked to my doctor, who said it was possible that it was the pill" causing the problem. "So I stopped taking it and used a barrier method, and things got really good again." 
Rodewald does not focus on Lisa alone, she writes about this issue being a common one, Thirty percent of American women suffer from a diminished sex drive, and some experts (as well as non-experts) will tell you that the pill is often to blame. Studies have linked oral contraceptive use to decreased levels of androgens -- the class of hormones, including testosterone, thought to drive both male and female sexuality. Birth control pills also alter a woman's natural estradiol fluctuations (the group of hormones that includes estrogen), which many ob-gyns consider the main source of female libido. When you're on the pill, your hormonal balance changes -- and consequently, your desire for sex might change, too. 
But, hang on, remember that every person is different and so it is natural that studies are not agreeing 100% on this issue. Rodewald reflects, But don't throw out your pills just yet. Many studies have examined the effect of hormonal birth control on sex drive, but few have been conclusive, says Anne R. Davis, MD, MPH, assistant clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Columbia University Medical Center in New York, who published a review of 40 years' worth of literature on contraceptive-libido studies.  
At epigee.org, there is a guide for the birth control pill and its effects on sex drives. The author explains, It appears that the birth control pill affects sex drive because it acts directly on a woman's sexual hormones. In particular, the birth control pill inhibits the production of androgens, including testosterone, in a woman's ovaries. Androgens have a direct effect on the pleasure that you experience during sexual intercourse. Additionally, the birth control pill also appears to increase the amount of sex-hormone binding globulin (SHBG) in the body. SHBG is a protein that binds to testosterone, preventing a woman's body from using it effectively. High levels of SHBG have been directly linked to decreased libido and sexual desire. 
Just because it affects the sexual hormones does not mean that there is a decrease in it. It just means that it could be increased, decreased, or stay the same. 
