Some Birth Controls Make You Hornier Than Others, Science Says

In the least shocking plot twist of the century, it turns out certain types of birth control may be affecting women's sex drives differently than others.

Isn't life and the female reproductive system fascinating?

Thanks to a study recently published in Evolution & Human Behavior, we now know that specific types of birth control pills, when paired with a woman's investment in her relationship, could affect how much or how little her sex drive spikes.

As part of the study, 275 straight Norwegian female college students currently in relationships and taking hormonal contraception were asked three questions: How much sex they had the week before, how invested were they in their relationships and what kind of birth control pill they were taking.

Maybe obviously, those who were more committed to their SOs were having the most vaginal intercourse, but the women who were in committed relationships AND on birth control consisting of more progestin and less estrogen were having even more sex than other happy couples who were using a different form of birth control.

On the flip side, women who were taking birth control with more estrogen and less progestin were more sexually active when they weren't as committed to their partners.

Interestinggg...

The difference lays in the estrogen and progestin balance.

When a woman is ovulating, her estrogen naturally peaks, signaling on a biological level that it is a great time to conceive. Progestin, on the other hand, will peak during a woman's cycle when conception isn't possible.

This would explain why women who aren't that committed to their partners may be more inclined to have sex when on a birth control packed full of estrogen.

Here are some common brands with different levels of estrogen and progestin so you can see where your libido lies...

Common brand heavy hitters with higher estrogen:

Yaz

Ortho Tri-Cyclen

NuvaRing

Estrostep Fe

Brevicon

Common brands with higher progestin:

Demulen 1/35

Desogen

Mircette

Loestrin 1.5/30

Ortho-Cept

Yasmin

Common progestin-only pills (aka "mini pills"):

Ovrette

Ortho-Micronor

Of course, this list isn't fool proof. Naturally, when considering birth control options there are many more factors you need to take into consideration outside of your sex drive. Be sure to speak to your doctor about works best for you.