“birth control”
recently i’ve noticed a decrease in my sex drive and vaginal dryness. i’ve searched up everything and still can’t seem to find what the reason for it is. could it be due to getting nexplanon birth control? i got it a little over 3 months ago but just a month ago started seeing this problems.
Female | 18 years old
Complaint duration: 30 days
Medications: nexplanon
Conditions: none
1 Answer
Nexplanon is a synthetic progestin. A progestin is a form of progesterone. One of the physiologic effects of progesterone is to decrease the body's production of testosterone. Because testosterone is responsible for libido, when its production is decreased, sex drive also decreases. Another effect of progesterone is to cause thinning of the lining of the uterus and the vagina. The thinning of the vaginal walls is what leads to the vaginal dryness. These symptoms are possible with all hormonal contraceptives. However, just because you experienced them with one hormonal contraceptive, it does not mean that you will experience them with all of them. You should talk with your Gynecologist about the possibility of switching to a different hormonal contraceptive if these symptoms are disruptive. Best Regards, Dr. Ellis
