Moderators, mates, and matchmakers: Effects of oral contraceptives on sexual desire may also depend on partners' behavior and the role of female choice

摘要

Oral contraceptive (OC) use might influence general sexual desire in many ways (e.g., by blocking the androgen receptor or elevating levels of sex hormone binding globulin and thus lowering the amount of unbound testosterone in the blood) (Burrows, Basha, & Goldstein, 2012). OC use could also influence sexual desire indirectly by reducing fearof unwanted pregnancy, decreasing lubrication and causing vaginal pain with intercourse, or reducing acne and thereby raising self-confidence (Burrows et al., 2012). Roberts, Cobey, Klapilova, and Havlicek (2013) mention some of these potential effects but suggest that focusing only on such factors may provide insufficient resolution and may be responsible for some conflicting results in the literature. Instead, Roberts et al. draw attention to two potential moderators of OC effects on sexual desire: (1) the target of sexual desire and (2) the congruency between OC use (or non-use) when a woman met her current partner and her current use.