Not just love

THE main role of the contraceptive pill is to prevent unwanted pregnancy but it has also been known to have other side effects.

On the negative side, it is said to provoke mood swings and cause weight gain, but on a positive note it can balance hormone levels in order to improve certain skin problems.

But a new report claims that the pill is also playing havoc with women’s sex lives.

Scientists from Stirling University discovered that women who take this form of oral contraception tend to stay in relationships for up to two years longer than those who don’t.

The study of 2,500 women also revealed that although women taking the hormonal pill stay with their partners longer, they are less satisfied sexually than those who are not using contraception of this kind, but are happier with other aspects of their relationship.

Speaking in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, Dr Craig Roberts says the results of the study show both positive and negative aspects of a woman being on the pill when she meets her partner.

“Overall, women who met their partner on the pill had longer relationships and were less likely to separate,” he says.

“And they may, on average, be less satisfied with the sexual aspects of their relationship, but more satisfied with non-sexual aspects. So there is both good news and bad news for women who meet while on the pill - one effect seems to compensate for the other.

“Choosing a non-hormonal barrier method of contraception for a few months before getting married might be one way for a woman to check or reassure herself that she’s still attracted to her partner,” he adds.

But Dr Bernadette Carr - medical director of VHI Healthcare - says most women will be able to rely on their instinct rather than their hormones to determine whether or not they find their partner attractive.

“There has been some interesting re-search regarding the pill and its potential effect on women’s interest in sex over a monthly cycle,” she says. “But overall any marginal effects of a woman’s normal monthly hormonal fluctuations will be hugely outweighed by her brain.

“Common sense, general compatibility, who the guy reminds her of (often sub-consciously), her relationship with her own father, and many other issues will be the real determinants of who a woman selects as her mate.”

The most common side effects of the pill include: headache, loss of bleeding, change in libido, fluid retention, mood swings

. For more health advice see www.vhi.ie