Do GLP-1 drugs affect sex drive? What studies and labels show

The research does not yet say how often GLP-1 medicines change sex drive, and what exists points both ways. In the one large survey that asked, about as many users said their desire went up as said it went down [3]. The FDA labels for these medicines do not list any sexual side effect.

What the labels say

We searched the current US labels for Wegovy, Zepbound, Foundayo, Ozempic and Mounjaro on DailyMed. None contains the words sexual, erectile or libido, and none names an erectile dysfunction medicine in its drug-interaction section. One study discussed below says package inserts list sexual dysfunction as a side effect [9]; that is not what the current US labels we read say, and the study does not name which inserts it means.

A missing entry is not proof that there is no effect. It means the label gives no rate for one.

What users report

The Kinsey Institute at Indiana University surveyed a nationally representative sample of 2,000 single US adults in 2025 [6]. Of them, 155 said they had used a GLP-1 medicine for weight loss [1]. Among those users:

• About half said the medicine had changed their sex lives, for better or worse [2].
• 18% said their sexual desire went up and 16% said it went down [3].
• 16% said their sexual function improved and 12% said it got worse [4].
• Men were twice as likely as women to report a boost in libido, and also twice as likely to report a drop [5].

This is a small group of users answering an online survey about their own experience. It shows that people notice changes in both directions. It cannot say whether the medicine, the weight loss or something else caused them.

Erectile dysfunction studies

Two records-based studies in men have looked for a link, with different results.

• Semaglutide for weight loss, men without diabetes. A study in the TriNetX database matched 3,094 men aged 18 to 50 prescribed semaglutide with the same number who were not [7]. A new erectile dysfunction diagnosis or prescription was more common in the semaglutide group, 1.47% against 0.32%, and so was a testosterone deficiency diagnosis, 1.53% against 0.80% [8]. Both rates were low in absolute terms.
• GLP-1 medicines in men with type 2 diabetes. A 2026 study compared GLP-1 users with users of DPP-4 inhibitors, another diabetes drug class [10]. Erectile dysfunction was slightly more common on a GLP-1, 35.2 against 28.0 cases per 1,000 person-years [10]. After a statistical check for hidden bias, the difference was no longer significant [11]. The authors say their findings may reflect bias and do not show that the drugs cause erectile dysfunction [12].

Neither study randomly assigned the medicine, so both show associations only.

Testosterone

A 2025 meta-analysis pooled four small studies, with about 219 patients measured before treatment [13]. It found that GLP-1 medicines appear to raise bioavailable testosterone, while the effect on free testosterone was inconclusive [14]. That sits uneasily with the TriNetX finding of more testosterone deficiency diagnoses, although the two studies measured different things. Both are small or observational, so treat them as early results.

Women

Research on women is thinner still. A 2026 review in the journal Menopause says the effects of GLP-1 medicines on female sexual function remain largely uncharacterized [15]. It notes case reports and animal data suggesting reduced desire and arousal, but says systematic clinical evidence is limited and calls for studies that track sexual function over time [16].

What to do if you notice a change

Changes in desire or function are worth raising with your prescriber, even though they are not on the label. They can look at other medicines you take, your mood and any side effects such as nausea or fatigue. If you already take a medicine for erectile dysfunction, tell the prescriber before you start a GLP-1, and do not stop or change either medicine on your own.