WHO Study Links Contraceptive Discontinuation to Sexual Satisfaction Concerns

The report, The Sex Effect: The prevalence of sex life reasons for contraceptive discontinuation, reviewed 64 studies involving more than 125,000 participants worldwide.

 

A groundbreaking study released today by the World Health Organization (WHO), the UN’s Special Programme in Human Reproduction (HRP), and The Pleasure Project highlights the critical but often overlooked link between contraceptive use and sexual well-being.

The report, The Sex Effect: The prevalence of sex life reasons for contraceptive discontinuation, reviewed 64 studies involving more than 125,000 participants worldwide. It found that 1 in 20 people who stop using contraception while still needing it do so because of perceived negative impacts on their sex lives, ranging from reduced libido to discomfort during intercourse or concerns about their partner’s experience.

A Missing Link in Family Planning

“The ability to enjoy sex without fear of unintended pregnancy is a major reason people use contraception,” said Dr Pascale Allotey, Director of Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing at WHO and HRP. “These findings underscore the importance of considering sexual satisfaction in supporting successful contraceptive use, and highlight a clear missing link in family planning programmes worldwide.”

The review underscores that while contraceptive counselling often focuses on safety, efficacy, and side effects, it rarely addresses sexual acceptability — whether the method enhances or interferes with sexual satisfaction.

Impacts Across Methods

Interestingly, the review found no significant differences in sexual side effect concerns between hormonal and non-hormonal contraceptives. Users reported:

• Decreased sexual desire.

• Physical discomfort during intercourse.

• Anxiety about a partner’s enjoyment or acceptance of the method.

Despite their frequency, these concerns remain underexplored in clinical research, counselling, and policy guidance, contributing to high discontinuation rates.

High Rates of Discontinuation

Globally, nearly 40% of women discontinue their contraceptive method, with discontinuation exceeding 50% in some countries. This undermines efforts to prevent unintended pregnancies and improve reproductive health.

Access challenges also persist: millions still lack consistent access to modern contraception, further exacerbating risks of maternal mortality, unintended pregnancy, and unsafe abortions.

Public Health Consequences

The report notes that if global contraceptive needs were met:

• Maternal mortality could fall by 25–35%.

• Unintended pregnancies could drop from 80 million to 26 million annually.

• High-risk pregnancies and births could be reduced by up to 40%.

• Use of barrier methods like condoms could further prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV, gonorrhoea, chlamydia, and syphilis.

“Ensuring that contraception can support both a satisfying and safe sex life is important for boosting people’s sexual health, and therefore their health overall,” said Dr Lianne Gonsalves, WHO Scientist for Sexual Health and lead author of the study. “Many users are going to see their lived experience reflected in these results.”

Recommendations for Change

The study calls for urgent steps to better integrate sexual well-being into contraceptive care:

• Normalize conversations about sex and sexual satisfaction during counselling.

• Integrate sexual acceptability into family planning policies and clinical guidelines.

• Train healthcare providers to address sexual side effects and offer practical solutions, such as lubricants for dryness.

• Prioritize sexual well-being in contraception research, development, and product innovation.

Toward a More Inclusive Approach

Advocates say that reframing contraception as a tool not just for safety and pregnancy prevention, but also for enabling satisfying and pleasurable sex lives, could improve uptake, reduce discontinuation, and strengthen reproductive health outcomes globally.

The findings, experts argue, provide strong evidence that sexual health must be seen as integral to overall health, not an afterthought.