Weight-loss drugs can be life-changing for patients who have struggled to lose weight through diet and exercise alone.
However, some people using these drugs have reported unexpected side effects, from reduced addictive behavior to ‘Ozempic feet.’ Patients have also reported changes in their sex drives — for better and for worse.
In 2024, about 5 per cent of Britons had used medications known under brand names such as Wegovy, Ozempic and Mounjaro. The drugs work by mimicking the hormone GLP-1 to slow digestion and reduce appetite, which can lead to significant weight loss.
Can weight loss jabs really impact libido? Here’s everything we know so far:
How could weight loss drugs impact sex drive?
According to Dr Rachel Goldman, a clinical psychologist and a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at NYU Grossman School of Medicine: “GLP-1s impact the reward center in the brain, which is why you're having less food noise, fewer cravings and less interest in alcohol use. It's also what might impact your sex drive.”
She told purewow that she’s seen patients with increased and decreased sex drives on Ozempic. However, it’s hard to know whether the drug has any causal link on libido.
There are also a number of ways that weight loss can positively impact sex drive, from increased confidence to improved mobility.
“I saw it firsthand and in such an extreme way—one client was really unhappy, had a low body image and exhibited depressive symptoms,” Goldman told purewow.
“They showed up to my office in sweatpants with holes, put on crooked. But after getting their health and weight under control, they started appearing and presenting like a different person, dressed well with their head held high. They told me they had left their partner, were going back to school and now had the confidence that they could take control of their life.”
What research has been conducted so far?
So far, there’s been limited research into the sexual side effects of GLP-1s.
One 2024 study indicated that obese men taking semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, were slightly more likely to develop erectile dysfunction than obese men who weren't taking the drug.
This could be because obesity-related conditions such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes can cause sexual dysfunction by damaging blood vessels and disrupting blood flow.
However, the researchers added that more research was required to “understand possible underlying biologic pathways that result in sexual dysfunction side effects”.
Research has also indicated that weight loss can have a positive impact on sex lives. One study, published a decade earlier, followed 106 women who had undergone bariatric surgery, and found that they reported significant improvements in “arousal, lubrication, desires, and satisfaction.”
So, can weight loss drugs impact sex drive?
Ultimately, more research is needed to determine the enigmatic relationship between weight loss drugs and sexual desire.
This is partially because when it comes to changes in libido, it can be hard to prove causality — to determine what exactly is causing the change.
For instance, Petar Bajic, director of men’s health at the Cleveland Clinic’s Glickman Urological Institute, told Wired that sleep is often sidelined when considering sexual functioning.
“People who are heavier are more likely to have sleep disorders like sleep apnea, and if you have sleep apnea, you don’t get the deep and restful stages of sleep,” he said.
“Your oxygen levels are dropping, and it prevents you from going into REM sleep, which is the deep and restful stage of sleep during which testosterone is produced.”
