Christina Ficara - All Headline News Staff Reporter

Cleveland, OH (AHN) -

Dr. Susan Lasch, an obstetrician-gynecologist at University Hospitals in Cleveland, says the pill can latch onto some of the free-roaming sex hormones in a woman's body, limiting the chance of sparking a sex drive.

Despite their inability to offer a solution, Lasch says the upside is that the study might encourage patients to talk to their doctors more about what's happening with their libido.

Lasch explains, "And that is something that doctors need to be aware of. It should be a regular part of the history of a patient. Do you have any sexual problems? Do you have any pain with sexual activity?"

Study leader Claudia Panzer, an endocrinologist in Denver, notes it's important for doctors to point out to their patients potential sexual side effects from birth control pills, such as decreased desire, arousal, decreased lubrication and increased sexual pain.

The authors of the study agree that this is not the final word on the topic, but it does pave the way for more studies, including a look at whether the sexual side effects of the pill can last beyond the time a woman takes it.