A few months ago, Sophia,* a 25-year-old student residing in Coventry, reveled in her vibrant sex life. With her 30-year-old boyfriend, they would engage in intimate encounters about three times daily, exploring new experiences, including visits to swingers clubs. However, everything changed when she began taking Mounjaro, an injectable medication designed for weight loss. An unsettling shift occurred within her: “Physical touch almost seemed repulsive to me,” she confided. Even a simple kiss felt overwhelming, as if it were “too much.”
Initially, Sophia attributed her lack of desire to exhaustion, as she was deep into her university assessments and commuting five days a week. Yet, months later, while browsing Reddit forums, she started to connect the dots. “The food noise disappeared, and so did my sexual urges,” she realized. Her feelings toward sex began to mirror her view of chocolate: “You have it, but then it falls flat,” she explained. “I take a bite, and it tastes like bile in my mouth.”
Sophia is not alone; many individuals have reported similar experiences after taking popular weight-loss injections, including Mounjaro, Zepbound, Wegovy, and Ozempic (the latter not officially approved for weight-loss treatment). These drugs, classified as GLP-1 receptor agonists, mimic the hormone GLP-1 to slow digestion and suppress appetite. Their popularity has surged in recent years, with estimates suggesting that in 2024, about 12 percent of U.S. adults and 5 percent of Britons will have used a GLP-1 drug. However, the full spectrum of these medications’ effects on the body remains unclear, with some users reporting unexpected side effects, including a reduction in non-food-related addictive behaviors, like gambling or compulsive shopping, and a newfound aversion to junk food.
Forums such as r/Zepbound and r/OzempicForWeightLoss showcase the diverse and often perplexing ways these medications impact users’ lives, particularly concerning their sex lives. One Redditor confessed an overwhelming desire to “jump everything” since starting the injections, while another reported feeling too nauseous to tolerate any form of physical contact.
“I don’t have any sexual thoughts or desire,” shared Stella,* a 28-year-old film producer from London, in a post on r/mounjarouk after experiencing a significant drop in libido accompanied by a range of unpleasant side effects, including sulfur burps, constipation, and diarrhea. Although Stella and her partner still engage in sex, it often feels obligatory for the sake of their relationship. “A lot of my physical attraction towards my partner has decreased,” she noted, explaining that it stripped away the romanticism, making their relationship feel more platonic.
On the flip side, some couples have reported a revitalized intimacy. Angela and Jonathan, both taking weight-loss medications, have found that while their wedding rings no longer fit, their sex life has markedly improved. GLP-1 receptor agonists influence the brain’s reward systems, suggesting that by dampening food cravings, they might also diminish sexual desire. Yet, research into these effects is still nascent. “There’s a lot we still need to understand,” said Elisabet Jerlhag, a researcher at the University of Gothenburg, who co-authored a study examining GLP-1’s effects on male mice and noted a reduction in sexual interactions.
Jerlhag emphasized the necessity of further clinical studies involving human participants to grasp why GLP-1 receptor agonists yield varying effects on sexual behavior. Some studies indicate a heightened risk of erectile dysfunction, while others suggest improvements in erectile function. Factors such as the positive mood resulting from weight loss may also enhance sexual desire and performance.
For couples like Angela, 45, and Jonathan, 47, GLP-1 weight-loss medications have profoundly enriched their sexual experiences. Angela noted that she previously suffered from vaginal dryness, an issue that significantly improved after starting Wegovy. Meanwhile, Jonathan, who is on Zepbound, found he could last longer during intimacy. Initially, Angela experienced side effects like sluggishness and constipation, leading her to think, “Please don’t put anything else in me; I am full of poop.” However, after about five months, she felt revitalized. “We just had sex all the time,” she recalled, “My hips move in ways they never did, even when I was younger.”
When they spoke to The i Paper, they enthusiastically shared how the weight loss medications positively transformed their sex life. “Sex is just a lot more fun and enjoyable,” Jonathan remarked. They began experimenting with new positions and felt more liberated in their movements. Angela noted that losing weight meant more of Jonathan’s anatomy was visible, allowing for deeper intimacy.
These physical changes have also fostered emotional benefits. Rather than feeling awkward with their bodies colliding—an experience they likened to “making your care bears kiss”—Angela now relishes the ability to connect with Jonathan on multiple levels during intimacy. They’ve resumed kissing more frequently, reminiscent of their high school days. On Valentine’s Day, they noticed their rings no longer fit and playfully drew hearts on each other’s fingers with eyeliner instead.
They’ve openly admitted, “I feel like I’m in love again, and I never fell out of love with you.” In stark contrast, Sophia found that her weight loss led to a deterioration in her relationship. About a year ago, when she mentioned considering bariatric surgery, her boyfriend threatened to break up with her if she went through with it. “I don’t want to be with someone who takes shortcuts,” he expressed. Both being Christians, Sophia noted that weight-loss medications are often frowned upon, as they can be perceived as “not giving God a chance.” Consequently, when she began taking Mounjaro in November, she chose to keep it a secret from him.
As she shed pounds, tensions between them escalated. Her boyfriend would often comment that he preferred her “curvy” figure, questioning her motivations for wanting to lose weight. As Sophia began wearing form-fitting clothes, he remarked on her “showing more skin” and asked, “Don’t you think that dress is too tight?” When her sexual interest waned, he became paranoid, questioning whether she was “getting it from someone else.” Sophia suspects her boyfriend feels threatened by her transformation. “There are more eyes on me now,” she lamented.
According to Lorraine Grover, a psychosexual nurse specialist, “Our body shape and size often influence our sexual confidence and mental health.” She notes that while she typically sees clients struggling with weight gain, weight loss can also disrupt relationship dynamics. A 2008 study by Swedish epidemiologists found that married couples were more likely to divorce after one partner underwent bariatric surgery, while single individuals tended to marry more frequently. “It may raise insecurities for the partner who hasn’t lost weight, as they witness their significant other gaining sexual confidence,” Grover explained.
Psychologist and author Jane Ogden, who specializes in eating behaviors and weight management, noted, “Relationships function like homeostatic systems. Altering one aspect causes the system to adjust in an attempt to maintain balance.” She remarked that while it’s not unusual for weight loss to influence a relationship dynamic, couples can navigate these changes through open communication. “It’s essential to discuss how we can embrace this and move forward, creating a new relationship dynamic,” she advised.
For Sophia, however, it feels as though her evolving physique has become an insurmountable obstacle in her relationship. Recently, while at the gym with her boyfriend, another man approached her and asked for her number, prompting an explosive reaction from her boyfriend. “Thinking about it frightens me, as those insecurities might amplify over time,” she reflected. “I might just become another statistic—someone whose boyfriend helped her lose weight, only for her to leave him for someone else. Yet, no one would hear the story about how he grew resentful when I started progressing.”
Ultimately, comprehensive research is essential to fully understand how weight loss medications affect sexual behaviors and why individuals experience these effects differently. Even with more conclusive results, there are no universal truths. The diverse and often polarizing sexual side effects of these drugs undoubtedly mirror the unpredictable nature of desire, intimacy, and romance itself. What constitutes a fulfilling sex life and a loving relationship for one person may bear no relevance for another.
*Names have been changed
