A recent report by the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations' HRP programme, and The Pleasure Project reveals that about 1 in 20 individuals who stop using contraception—while still requiring it either to prevent pregnancy or for safer sex—do so due to concerns about its effect on their sexual experience.

The findings, published in the systematic review “The Sex Effect: The prevalence of sex life reasons for contraceptive discontinuation,” are based on an analysis of 64 studies involving more than 125,000 people. The results highlight the importance of offering contraceptive options that not only prevent pregnancy but also consider the user’s sexual satisfaction. Doing so can encourage continued use, which helps reduce unintended pregnancies, maternal deaths, and sexually transmitted infections.

“Having sex without the fear of unexpected pregnancy is a key motive for using contraception,” stated Dr Pascale Allotey, Director of Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing at WHO and HRP. “The results emphasize how essential it is to factor in pleasure and comfort in contraceptive care. This reveals a gap in current global sexual health and family planning efforts.”

The review found that many users reported changes in their sexual experience while using contraception, including reduced desire, discomfort during intimacy, and worries about their partner’s enjoyment. These concerns were noted across different contraceptive types—both hormonal and non-hormonal—with no major difference in prevalence.

Despite being common, these sexual side effects are rarely discussed in clinical settings, and often overlooked in research and contraceptive counseling. In response, the study offers several suggestions to better support people’s experiences with contraception and sexual health:

• Encourage open, honest conversations about sex during contraceptive consultations.

• Include the concept of sexual satisfaction in clinical and policy guidelines for family planning.

• Equip healthcare providers with training to recognize and address sexual side effects, and offer remedies like lubricants to reduce discomfort.

• Make sexual well-being a priority in contraceptive research, development, and policy-making.

Looking beyond personal impacts, the report points out the wider public health advantages of a more inclusive approach. Meeting the global demand for contraception could decrease maternal deaths by 25–35% and cut unintended pregnancies from 80 million to 26 million each year. It could also reduce the number of high-risk pregnancies and complicated births by up to 40%. Additionally, barrier methods such as condoms help prevent infections like HIV, syphilis, chlamydia, and gonorrhea.

Although many regions still face limited access to modern contraceptives, high rates of discontinuation further hinder progress. Earlier studies have indicated that close to 40% of women stop using their selected method, with some countries reporting dropout rates above 50%.

“Creating contraceptive options that allow people to enjoy a fulfilling and safe sex life plays a crucial role in improving both sexual and overall health,” said Dr Lianne Gonsalves, WHO sexual health specialist and lead author of the review. “Many individuals will likely recognize their own experiences in these findings.”