Love and sex in the age of antidiabetic slimming drugs: what changes (for better or worse)

Love in the age of popular antidiabetic diet drugs? It's changing . Specifically, the way people experience sex and romantic encounters is changing, for better or worse. This is the complex picture that emerges from a nationally representative survey of 2,000 single American adults (aged 18 to 91). The study investigated the impact of GLP-1 medications on the love lives of those who take them. It revealed that for 50-60% of those surveyed, the change occurred on multiple fronts: physical, social, and psychological. They admit, it changes the way people date and interact.

What the survey reveals

Conducted by the Kinsey Institute at Indiana University in collaboration with DatingNews.com, the survey found that GLP-1 users reported a wide range of issues. Of those surveyed, 8% reported using a GLP-1 medication to aid weight loss, with no significant differences in use between men and women. Of those using GLP-1, 59% reported at least one impact of the drug on their love life: 17% bought new clothes to show off their bodies; 16% said they had heard from former partners wanting to reconnect; 14% said they were getting more matches on dating apps; 13% felt more confident posting photos of themselves online; 12% felt more confident asking other people out; and 12% said they wanted to go on more dates.

"GLP-1 use is on the rise among single adults," explains Amanda Gesselman, a researcher at the Kinsey Institute and one of the study's authors, "and is starting to impact much more than just people's physical appearance and feelings about themselves." Some surveys, US experts point out, suggest that 12% of the population has tried GLP-1 medications such as Ozempic*, Zepbound*, and Wegovy*. Therefore, they emphasize, understanding the significant social and psychological changes accompanying the use of these medications is increasingly important. "These changes have the potential to reshape the way people construct intimacy in today's dating landscape," says Gesselman. "For example, as users report a reduced appetite and less interest in alcohol, the traditional dinner-and-drinks date may give way to new methods of connection."

About half (52%) of GLP-1 users also reported that the drug impacted their sex lives, either positively or negatively. For example, 18% said their sexual desire increased and 16% said it decreased; 16% said they felt more comfortable with their naked appearance and 14% said they felt less comfortable; 16% said their sexual function improved and 12% said it worsened.

"I think there's a very complex story to tell," observes Justin Lehmiller, Senior Research Fellow at the Kinsey Institute and one of the study's authors. "The impact of these drugs on one's sex life will depend on a variety of factors, including the dosage and type of medication, the rate of weight loss, starting and ending weight, and how much one's health and fitness habits were simultaneously modified." The survey results also revealed significant differences by gender: men appeared to experience both positive and negative side effects and were twice as likely to say their libido had increased, they felt more satisfied with their body, and they had improved sexual function. However, they were also twice as likely as women to report low libido, feelings of physical discomfort, and a reduction in sexual function after taking GLP-1.

The findings also suggested that these weight-loss antidiabetes medications might give men a greater boost in their love lives than women, with men being three times more likely than women to say they felt more confident about their appearance and received more matches on dating apps, as well as twice as likely to say they had more dates. However, there's always a downside: men also felt more stigmatized, with 60% reporting fear of being judged or humiliated for taking a GLP-1 drug compared to 35% of women.