By now you’ve probably heard about GLP-1s, sold under brand names such as Ozempic and Wegovy. This class of medications mimics naturally occurring hormones involved in appetite control and blood sugar regulation to treat type 2 diabetes and aid weight-loss efforts. It should be no surprise, then, that conversations around these popular drugs have largely centered on the scale. However, some scientists are starting to look more closely into how they may impact something perhaps even more personal: our sex lives.
At present roughly one in five Americans reports taking or having taken a GLP-1, according to a recent poll. As the number of people using these medications has soared, so have anecdotal reports about how they’re impacting users’ day-to-day—and yes, this includes things like pleasure and sex drive. Though there hasn’t been a ton of research into the relationship between sexual health and GLP-1s yet, more scientists are starting to investigate potential impacts.
In a review published in Obesity Pillars in March 2026, for example, researchers propose that GLP-1s may influence desire by impacting brain chemistry. But how exactly might these drugs impact sex drive? And is there a way to remain engaged in your sex life while on a GLP-1? We tapped experts to find out.
GLP-1 agonists may lessen your, ahem, thirst while dialing back hunger.
To understand how GLP-1s might influence libido, it helps to walk through how they work more broadly.
Some options, like Wegovy and Ozempic, contain semaglutide, which is a synthetic version of a naturally occurring hormone, glucagon-like peptide-1, or GLP-1. Semaglutide binds to GLP-1 receptors throughout the brain and body, helping regulate appetite, blood sugar, and feelings of satiety, James Simon, MD, an ob-gyn and reproductive endocrinologist and one of the researchers behind the Obesity Pillars study, tells SELF.
Other options, like Zepbound and Mounjaro, contain a different active ingredient called tirzepatide, which mimics both GLP-1 and a related hormone, and thus impacts the body in similar ways to semaglutide.
On top of reporting reduced appetite and increased satiety, a number of patients have also found that these weight-loss medications quiet what they call “food noise.” But as it turns out, the same parts of the brain that control appetite are also responsible for other reward-seeking behaviors, according to Dr. Simon. He says this could help explain why taking GLP-1s may have the auxiliary impact of decreasing appetite for another pleasurable activity: sex.
