Do GLP-1s Affect Sex Drive? Why It’s Time to Talk About It

​​Written by Sexual Wellness Institute Owner and Therapist, Amanda Holmberg, MS LMFT

GLP-1 medications such as semaglutide and tirzepatide are often prescribed for diabetes care and metabolic health, and sometimes for changes in appetite and body size. What is rarely talked about is how these medications affect deeply personal areas of life, including body confidence, sexual desire, and intimacy.
Not everyone who takes a GLP-1 is focused on weight, and changes in sexual wellbeing are not tied to a specific body size. Instead, they reflect how people experience themselves, their relationships, and their sense of confidence.

Why We’re Not Talking About It

There are several reasons sexuality often gets left out of the GLP-1 conversation:

• Medical blind spots: Providers tend to focus on numbers and physical health markers. Sexual well-being is often overlooked unless patients bring it up.
  
• Layered stigma: Sexuality is still difficult for many to discuss openly. Adding cultural pressures about body image makes the conversation even harder.
  
• Research gaps: There is robust research on GLP-1s and metabolic outcomes, but limited research on intimacy and sexual functioning. Women are often left to navigate these shifts without support.
  

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What Women Are Experiencing

Every person’s story is different, and experiences go beyond simple “good” or “bad” outcomes:

• Shifts in desire. A nationally representative Kinsey Institute survey of 2,000 single adults found that more than half of GLP-1 users reported changes in their sex lives. About 18% experienced an increase in desire, while 16% noticed a decrease (Kinsey Institute, 2025).
• Mixed emotions. Some felt more comfortable with physical intimacy, while others reported increased self-consciousness about things like loose skin or changes in body identity.
• Relationship changes. A mixed-methods analysis of online user reports described both increases and decreases in libido, often linked to mental health, confidence, and hormonal shifts (PMC, 2024).

Media reports echo this complexity. Some people describe new confidence and openness to intimacy, while others notice lowered desire, possibly due to brain reward pathway changes (Wired, 2024).
The key takeaway: sexuality is not determined by body size but by how someone relates to their body and their partner.

Why This Conversation Matters

If GLP-1s do affect your sex life, it does not mean intimacy is lost. It may simply require addressing sexuality more intentionally, just as we would if another medication influenced desire. Many treatments, including antidepressants and hormonal therapies, can affect sexual functioning. With support, adjustments, or new strategies, people often find ways to reconnect with intimacy.
At Sexual Wellness Institute, we believe that speaking openly about sexuality helps reduce shame and affirms that every experience, whether it’s gaining confidence, noticing a dip in desire, or experiencing no change at all, is valid.

How to Start Talking About It

1. With Your Provider
   Ask questions such as, “How might this medication affect my sexual desire, body image, or intimacy?” Even if there are no clear answers yet, the conversation matters.
2. With Your Partner
   Share honestly what feels new or vulnerable. Intimacy deepens when partners feel included rather than left guessing.
3. With Yourself
   Explore how your body feels and responds in daily life. This could be journaling, mindful self-touch, or simply noticing comfort in clothing and movement.
4. With a Therapist
   Sex therapy provides a safe space to process changes, navigate body image, and explore ways to nurture intimacy.

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Moving Forward with GLP-1s and Sexuality

GLP-1s are reshaping health for many people, and sexuality is part of that story. Research shows that some feel more confident and curious about intimacy, while others notice new insecurities or shifts in desire. What matters is not the scale, but how people experience connection, pleasure, and self-acceptance.
If you are noticing changes in your confidence, desire, or intimacy while taking a GLP-1, you are not alone. These experiences are important, and support is available.

Series Note: More GLP-1 Information to Come

This post is the first in a three-part series on GLP-1s, body confidence, and intimacy. In the next installment, we will look at how body changes influence sexual desire and explore ways to cultivate confidence in this new chapter. In the final part, I will give tangible ways to address desire, arousal, or any other unwanted changes with sexual intimacy due to a GLP-1.

Consider Sex Therapy Near Minneapolis, MN

At Sexual Wellness Institute, we support anyone who would like help in exploring intimacy with compassion and without shame. Whether you are navigating body changes, desire shifts, or relationship dynamics while on a GLP-1, our therapists can help you strengthen both your confidence and your connection. To get started, simply:

1. Contact the Sexual Wellness Institute to set up your first appointment.
2. Meet with one of our skilled sex and relationship therapists for an intake appointment.
3. Move forward with joy and fulfillment in sex and relationships! ​

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About the Author: Sex Therapist Amanda Holmberg

Amanda Holmberg, MS LMFT, is a licensed marriage and family therapist, sex therapist, and AAMFT-Approved Supervisor with more than 15 years of experience specializing in sex and relationship therapy. She is the founder of Sexual Wellness Institute and Radiant Living Therapy, where she helps individuals and couples address sexual concerns, intimacy challenges, and relationship dynamics in a stigma-free and trauma-aware environment. Amanda also provides training and supervision for therapists, creating tools and resources to strengthen supervision and clinical skills for therapists. ​

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Other Mental Health Services in Minnesota

In addition to sex therapy, our LGBT & polyamory friendly sex therapists provide a wide range of mental health services at our Plymouth, MN counseling office. Other services include couples therapy & marriage counseling, EFT, evidence-based couples therapy, EMDR & sexual trauma therapy, as well as teen therapy. In order to help serve the mental health needs of all those living in Minnesota, we also offer online counseling & sex therapy. We also provide a variety of helpful tips on our mental health blog. Please feel free to reach out with questions, or if you would like to schedule an appointment to begin working with a skilled sex therapist! Your sex life can be amazing. Sex therapy can be a part of that process for you.