A common belief that needs nuance
Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro belong to the family of GLP-1 receptor agonists: semaglutide for the first two, tirzepatide (which also acts on the GIP receptor) for the third. Prescribed for type 2 diabetes and obesity, they reduce appetite, slow digestion and lead to weight loss. Many people wonder whether they also "switch off" desire. The honest answer is more nuanced than the rumour: in some people desire increases, in others it drops, and in many it does not change. This page reviews what surveys and studies show, and what remains uncertain.
What the Kinsey Institute survey says
The most-quoted figure comes from a survey run by the Kinsey Institute (Indiana University) with the website DatingAdvice.com, presented in July 2025: it questioned 2,000 single American adults, about 8% of whom had already taken a drug of this type to lose weight (Kinsey Institute, 2025), or roughly 150 to 160 people. Among the reported answers, 18% say they felt more sexual desire and 16% less desire (Kinsey Institute, 2025). On sexual function, 16% report an improvement and 12% a decline; as for confidence when dating, 11% feel more self-assured and 9% less (Kinsey Institute, 2025 (TIME)).
These figures need to be read with caution. They are self-reported (what respondents say they felt, with no measurement and no comparison with a group not taking the drug), they concern a small group of single American adults, and they do not distinguish the molecule, the dose or the speed of weight loss. We found no peer-reviewed publication: these are results released by the university and relayed by the press. Their interest lies elsewhere: desire does not fall in everyone, and in this sample it rises slightly more often than it falls, although a two-point difference is too small to draw a conclusion.
Why desire may increase
Several mechanisms, mostly described in men, are plausible. Obesity often lowers testosterone; a 2026 meta-analysis pooling eight studies (375 men who were overweight or obese) concludes that GLP-1 agonists increase total and free testosterone, and go hand in hand with better erectile outcomes (Corona et al., 2026). The authors of another systematic review, however, consider that this testosterone gain is mainly due to weight loss and reduced insulin resistance (an average rise of 2.5 to 5.2 nmol/L in obese men with a functional deficiency) (La Vignera and Condorelli, 2026): both readings coexist in the literature. In healthy men without a deficiency, a placebo-controlled trial showed no notable hormonal or reproductive effect (Zafrani et al., 2026): the benefit seems to be limited to people whose metabolism was impaired.
Less measurable effects add to this: better blood sugar, less breathlessness and pain, a more positive body image, more confidence. The Sexual Medicine Society of North America (SMSNA) thus points out that, in men and women alike, weight loss can help rebalance sex hormones and support desire over time (SMSNA).
Why it may decrease
The first explanation is indirect. Nausea, reflux, constipation, fatigue and a rapid calorie deficit, especially when the dose is increased, do not favour sexual drive. The SMSNA also mentions hormonal leads (sex hormone-binding globulin, SHBG, could reduce the free share of these hormones) and difficulty reaching orgasm in some patients, mainly at the start of treatment (SMSNA).
The second is a hypothesis about the brain. A narrative review published in late 2025 proposes that these drugs, by acting on serotonin (which, in excess, dampens desire), may reduce sexual desire in some people, while stating that this model is "hypothesis-generating", extrapolated from animal work and not tested in humans (Gelfand et al., 2025). A systematic review of 66 preclinical studies, published in October 2026, points the same way: in animals, GLP-1 agonists reduce reward-related behaviours (food, substances and, when administered locally into certain brain areas, sexual behaviours for exenatide) (Zheng et al., 2026). What is observed in mice is not what patients experience: this is not proof in humans.
Men and women: uneven data
There are more data in men, in whom erection and testosterone are measured. In women, the information comes mostly from conference presentations: at the SMSNA fall 2025 meeting, a team reported that about one participant in four noticed a change in her sex life on GLP-1 drugs, half of them a bothersome decline, with significant decreases in desire and arousal; the sample size, study design and comparison were not specified, and the presenter called for more rigorous research (SMSNA, 2025). This is a signal to explore, not an established result.
State of the research
As of 2 November 2026, to our knowledge, no randomised trial has used sexual desire as its primary endpoint in people treated with semaglutide or tirzepatide. The authors of the 2025 review also recommend that future studies systematically measure desire, with validated questionnaires at several time points (Gelfand et al., 2025). What is known comes down to four points:
- a self-reported American survey shows effects in both directions, of roughly comparable size;
- reviews and meta-analyses in obese or diabetic men report rather an improvement in testosterone and erection, in small samples;
- hypotheses (serotonin, reward circuits) would explain a decrease in some people, but rest mostly on animal work;
- data in women are thin and come from conference communications.
People taking these drugs also often have diabetes, depression, an age or other medicines that influence desire: isolating the treatment's own effect is difficult.
What to do if your desire changes
These pointers are general and do not replace medical advice. A change in desire during treatment is worth mentioning to the person who prescribes it, without stopping or changing the dose yourself: the SMSNA encourages people to discuss their sexual health concerns with a healthcare professional (SMSNA). Sleep, mood, another medicine or a deficiency can weigh as much as the treatment itself (see low desire and who to see). As a couple, talking about it without blame helps: the body changes, self-image too, and desire sometimes follows with a delay. If it is erection that is the problem, Viagra and its equivalents answer a different question from desire.
Frequently asked questions
Do Ozempic and Wegovy kill your libido?
Not systematically. In the Kinsey Institute's self-reported survey, 18% of users say they have more desire and 16% less. Plausible mechanisms exist in both directions, but no controlled study has settled the question yet.
Does Mounjaro affect desire differently from Ozempic?
We found no direct comparison. Mounjaro's tirzepatide acts on two receptors (GIP and GLP-1), but the data on desire are mixed with those on semaglutide; it is not possible to say which of the two molecules acts differently.
Can you stop the treatment to get desire back?
This decision is made with the doctor, not alone: the treatment often protects against metabolic risks. Other levers (dose, pace of increase, diet, hormone check-up, psychological support) can be discussed first.
Are men more affected than women?
There are simply more data in men, in whom testosterone and erection are measured. In women, the available information is thin and comes from conference presentations.