The Good, The Bad and the Unknown of how GLP1 Drugs Impact Your Sex Life
Research Alert! I read medical journals, so you don’t have to*…
*News FLASH -My reviews of recently published menopause research.
This study will appear in: The Journal of Sexual Medicine
Article Title: Glucagon-like peptide-1 agonist weight loss medications decrease sexual desire: a theoretical framework based in the serotonergic pathway.
Citation: Tveit MC, Gelfand ST, **Simon JA. Glucagon-like peptide-1 agonist weight loss medications decrease sexual desire: a theoretical framework based in the serotonergic pathway. J Sex Med. 2025 Jan 9;22(2):215-216. doi: 10.1093/jsxmed/qdae182. PMID: 39924984
The Purpose of the Study
To explore the psychosocial and biological mechanisms by which GLP-1 drugs can both benefit sexual function and also impair sexual function.
Background
GLP-1 inhibitor drugs are now used by over 12% of Americans, and the numbers are expected to climb. Usage is most common in midlife women. It is estimated that 20% of women between the ages of 50 and 64 have used a GLP1 inhibitor to lose weight. There are many other direct and indirect effects of GLP1 inhibitors besides weight loss, including an impact on sexual function.
Some women report a boost to sexual desire, sexual activity, and pleasure. Others report the opposite. The authors of this study propose that both are possible and utilize a biopsychosocial model to explain how one drug can both enhance and impair sexual function.
The biopsychosocial model was developed over 40 years ago by Dr. George Engel, who recognized that health and illness are not just the result of biological factors but are also influenced by psychological and social factors.
In 2009, Dr. Michael Perelman introduced the concept of the sexual tipping point, which looks at the interaction of excitatory and inhibitory biomedical, psychological, and cultural factors to determine sexual response. As an example, hormones, specific neurotransmitters, and a past positive experience boost sexual function. Things that sabotage sexual function include other neurotransmitters, pain, and past negative experiences. Desire is experienced if the balance of excitatory and inhibitory factors is tipped toward excitatory.
The Results
The following factors summarize the Yin and Yang of the GLP1 Inhibitor drugs when it comes to sexual function.