There should be reams of information available about the impact of GLP-1 drugs on sexual behavior, but the science remains remarkably silent. GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound have been prescribed since 2017 for Type 2 diabetes and since 2021 for weight loss.

Anecdotal information has flooded in about the impacts of GLP-1 drugs on alcohol consumption, opioid abuse, problem gambling, and compulsive shopping. But there’s dead silence about how GLP-1 drugs impact sexual behavior problems such as sex addiction and pornography addiction.

Doctoral research published by the Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden did test GLP-1 receptor agonists on sexual behavior in mice. What they found was:

• a systemic exendin-4 injection decreases social behaviors, mounting behaviors and self-grooming behaviors in sexually naïve male mice

• activation of GLP-1R within the NTS suppresses social behaviors, mounting behaviors and self-grooming behaviors in sexually naïve male mice.

The scientists concluded that “these peptides via reward-related areas modulate natural rewards from both the feeding-related and the social behavior domains of natural rewards.” It wasn’t just the appetite for food the mice lost; it was also their sex drive.

Research in humans, however, is so far ambiguous on the impact of GLP-1 drugs on sex drive. The weight loss associated with the drugs tends to improve self-image and self-esteem, leading people to “feel sexier” and “look hotter.” This may offset a general lack of desire that comes from using GLP-1 drugs, possibly due to a continuous  subclinical nausea.

In an article on whether drugs like Ozempic can be used to treat pornography addiction, medical journalist Todd Neale is forced to rely mostly on studies showing the effectiveness of treatments for substance use disorders (SUDs) also being effective against pornography addiction. Neale also cites research on GLP-1 drugs against nicotine addiction, alcohol use disorder (AUD), and THC addiction.

It’s hard to make the direct connection between GLP-1 drugs and pornography addiction. To get there, Neale uses a recovery center as a source, which takes us back to the land of anecdotes and away from the science. But it does lead to some helpful resources.

First is Sex Addicts Anonymous, which offers a self-assessment for sex addiction. Just remember that the vast majority of self-reported sex addicts and pornography addicts in no way meet the criteria for addiction.

Second is SASH, the Society for the Advancement of Sexual Health, a hub for locating sexual behavioral therapists that is also a repository of information about problem sexual behavior.

Third is the SASH Knowledge Hub, the group’s YouTube channel, where a video called The Journey from Sex Addiction to Recovery contains only the briefest mention of the use of medication. SASH Recovery Coach, Steve Devlin, admits in the video to a pornography addiction that resulted in his arrest in 2007 and subsequent jail time. His personal journey to recovery included:

[…] medication for depression and anxiety that helped bring me up to a level I could function again.

In Todd Neale’s article for MDlinx, he suggests cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness techniques as being helpful in recovery from pornography addiction. He also praises substitution of healthier activities such as exercising, cooking, gardening, etc.

In the end, without any supporting studies, we’re left with the uncomfortable conclusion that it seems like GLP-1 drugs should moderate withdrawal symptoms from pornography addiction. That conclusion awaits a much larger survey of the impacts of GLP-1 drugs on the sexual behavior of users.

Written by Steve O’Keefe. First published March 19, 2025.

Sources:

“Can new ‘addiction drugs’ like Ozempic also treat pornography addiction?,” MDlinx, March 12, 2025.

“Males’ Lived Experience with Self-Perceived Pornography Addiction: A Qualitative Study of Problematic Porn Use,” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, January 2023.

Image Copyright: estradaanton.