Junel 1/20 and Sexual Dysfunction: What Users Say

• Lea...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 1, 2019

For Birth Control "I have been taking Junel for a little over four years now. This birth control, I didn’t gain any weight, but it did make my boobs a size bigger. My acne is minimal (but I am also prescribed other acne face washes and stuff to keep my skin clear). My periods are to a T every month, periods are light, and I haven’t had cramps since before I started. I have had absolutely no complaints until this past year. Now my sex drive is completely gone, and it's nearly impossible for me to reach orgasm. The only thing I can think of is my birth control doing this. Other than that, I think this pill is awesome, but the lack of sex drive is super concerning for me since I do have a long-term boyfriend, and it's just not there anymore."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 22, 2022

For Birth Control "I originally started out with Sprintec and could immediately see weight gain, swollen breasts, and severe mood changes. So I switched to Junel, and my breasts were no longer swollen, and I lost weight. My skin has been incredibly clear, very regular periods, light, and no cramps really… but this pill has affected me sexually. I am constantly having back-to-back UTIs, despite cleaning thoroughly after intercourse. And I no longer have a sex drive. The first year my bf and I were together, I was completely different, but since Junel, I have a hard time wanting to engage in ANY kind of sexual act. It has also put my emotions on blast. I am incredibly angry, I cannot control how I feel anymore. This pill seriously has damaged my mental and physical health. I know a lot of people have a great experience, so don’t let my review turn you away. But if you feel this way on this pill, know you aren’t alone. I thought I was crazy, but I am about to get off this pill."

• xox...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• February 15, 2021

For Birth Control "I have been on this birth control for nearly 7 years. I never experienced weight gain or extra anxiety, and my periods are now very predictable and only last 2 days (though they weren’t very heavy or long-lasting in the first place). It has been very long since I started taking them, so it’s hard to compare what I was like without them, but I do have vaginal dryness and a low sex drive, which I believe is because of the pill."

• Unh...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 26, 2019

For Birth Control "I originally started this pill in May of last year. I was on it for 2.5 months, and those first 2.5 months were awful. I’m normally a very confident and optimistic person, but those first two months I had terrible anxiety, panic attacks, horrible mood swings, which caused a breakup with my (then) boyfriend of a year, and irregular periods. I stopped and started taking them again around March or April of this year. Ever since then, my period is almost nonexistent as I rarely ever get one, forcing me to buy a lot of pregnancy tests out of fear (all came back negative). I have terrible acne and some sort of dermatitis around my nose that began appearing after a month or two of taking it, water weight (gain/lose 4 pounds) that fluctuates, and a decreased libido, which is a lot coming from a hormonal teen. I’m regular with taking my pill, occasionally being late by an hour, but usually am late (when it does happen) by 20 minutes or so. I’m switching."

• vme...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 19, 2021

"This birth control was the worst for me. Ruined sex drive, completely changed my mental state. I could not smoke weed, and I would throw up after drinking alcohol. Do not take if you have underlying anxiety. After smoking weed with this birth control (I had always been fine smoking without it), I had severe panic attacks. After that, I dissociated for a month with extreme anxiety and panic attacks for a month. I cried every day while coming off of it until I got my period a month after. I was so depressed. I had never been depressed before this drug, and I know the hormones were the thing that caused it. I was hospitalized three times total for how horrible my mental state became in just the span of a month. Please, there are so many other options. Do not take this birth control, just simply pick another option. Don’t take this, hair loss, anxiety, and depression were so horrible - I would have rather just been pregnant than ever have to take this again."

• Kat...
• January 29, 2020

For Birth Control "The first month of Junel, I was bleeding for like 2 and a half weeks straight. It was super annoying, but after the first pack, it stopped. I did experience a little bit of weight gain, but it wasn’t noticeable at all. I saw a decrease in my sex drive, that’s a downside with this pill. I would be drier than usual, which was annoying at times. I also got on this pill because I had bad acne, and this pill cleared it up tremendously. It took about 3 packs of the pill for me to see a huge improvement. And once it did, it was just going up from there. I recently got off it because I messed up on it, and I started bleeding on my active pills, and I started breaking out again, so I had to switch. But it may be my fault or my body just rejected this BC... who knows. I wouldn’t give this BC a bad rating since it cleared most of my skin, and it’s nowhere near as bad compared to what my skin was before this birth control!!"

• Coo...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• June 4, 2019

For Birth Control "I've been on Junel 1/20 for a year now, and I'll be switching off of it next month. There have been quite a few symptoms that I have now traced back to this. 1) Weight gain! 20 lbs in 3 months. I haven't gained any extra since then, but I have started a drastic workout program and started eating better, and I can't lose it. 2) No sex drive at all. 3) Moodiness. My poor husband. In all, it's not horrible, but it's not right for me."

• Lin...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 3, 2020

For Birth Control "I just started taking Junel Fe Loestrin last year, and around March this year, I’ve noticed a change while taking Metformin. Started taking to have regular periods, which I’ve never had in my life. Now that I take BC, my libido is gone, and I am experiencing symptoms like right before my cycle: get sick, body temperature increase, weight loss. Still have a little facial hair, but other than that, I get constipated before my cycle. I went to talk with the doctor, but he could only say that my hormones are affected. Having PCOS really sucks, and now this."

• Lan...
• April 28, 2020

For Birth Control "Five months ago, I got on Junel to regulate my irregular, heavy periods, which never happened, and the last two months I was on it I had two very long breakthrough periods that lasted from 14 to 21 days. This was the first BC I had ever taken, so the hormones were something I was not used to but did adjust to. I noticed I was more emotional and would get upset about things more than ever, but eventually that passed. I did have more energy. I didn’t really gain weight, but I did notice that I would eat more than usual. As far as acne, I would get a pimple here and there but never bad breakouts. Junel did help decrease the pain in my cramps, it never shortened my period but it did make it lighter. It caused my boobs to always be tender all the time, it also decreased my libido. Overall, I don't hate Junel, it just didn’t really work out for me. The only reason I am being taken off of Junel is because of the breakthrough bleeding and was advised that isn’t normal for that to happen so often."

• Kae...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• May 23, 2019

For Birth Control "I have been on the Junel 1/20 pill for 5 years, so I'm going to be honest. I gained some weight (my eating habits don't help), headaches and migraines are more frequent. Back and neck pain that I never had that isn't due to the weight gain. Slim to none when it comes to sex drive. My acne never got bad, though, that's a plus. I got on this pill because I never had regular periods, and when I did have a period, it was heavy flow for two weeks at a time. I haven't had a cycle since being on this pill. I know all of this sounds negative, but I do enjoy being on this pill for its strength and peace of mind. It won't work for everyone, but in my case, I don't think I would want to be on another pill."

• Mrl...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 26, 2018

For Birth Control "Second month on Junel FE. I'm 35 years old, never on birth control before, this is my first time ever. Cons: horrible acne (never had acne before), cramps, painful intercourse (never had before this). First month on it, I had nausea, as I'm finishing the second month, it has subsided. First period started really light and got heavier, which was a bit disappointing, I was under the impression that this would help lessen the heaviness. Pros: prevents pregnancy, loss of appetite. I will give this a total of 3 months but will probably switch if the acne persists and periods don't get lighter."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• May 31, 2022

For Birth Control "I have been taking Junel 1/20 for about 6 years now. When I first started taking this medication, I had no issues. My biggest concerns were weight gain and hormonal acne. Neither have occurred since taking this contraceptive. However, within the last 6-12 months, I have had a major decline in my sex drive and have become slightly depressed. I highly recommend, if you are considering taking this birth control, to please talk to your doctor about the long-term side effects. I wish this was something my doctor would have consulted me on."

• Ano...
• May 15, 2017

For Birth Control "This is my fourth month on Junel 1/20. I used to be on Gildess and was switched to this after it was discontinued. I have to take a low-hormone birth control because all other birth controls have given me extreme sickness. This birth control has worked very well for me: light periods that are regular and predictable. I don't think this birth control has made me gain weight, and if anything, my skin looks good. I just feel normal, which is a good thing. I do have anxiety problems, so it's hard to tell if the birth control has been affecting that. I do have to say I've had some constipation, but don't know if it is related to the pill, and also slightly lowered sex drive, but again not 100% sure if that's related to the pill."

• Mom...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 25, 2018

For Birth Control "It says don't take if you are a smoker and over 35. Well, I don't smoke, but I'm over 35 years old. I can say side effects are nothing major. I've had spotting, nausea, headaches, and no sex drive at all. My discharge has been greenish, but I heard birth control pills can cause it because I haven't got an infection. I forget to take it at the same time sometimes, but overall, so far, so good."

• AMI...
• December 15, 2015

For Birth Control "I have been on Junel 1/20 for 2 months and just started my third pack. The first 2 months were fine. My periods are regular and actually shorter and lighter than they've ever been, which is a plus! But every night since I started this pack, I've woken up with nausea and vomiting! I've also had a terrible headache every day... One side effect I've had all along is lack of sex drive. Everyone responds differently to birth control, but unfortunately, I do not think this one is for me."

• Pai...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 23, 2015

For Birth Control "I went on Junel FE about 15 months ago for extremely painful cramps during my period and for birth control. About two months after, I lost most of my sex drive, and over the course I've been taking it, I went from 110-138. I'm 5'0 and 18, and even after all these months, I'm still finding new stretch marks and gaining weight, and I'm barely eating. I'm switching at the end of this pack (finally). I gave it 4/10 because it kept me from getting pregnant, but otherwise it sucks."

• Lau...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 19, 2021

For Birth Control "Overall, I am happy with it. I switched from Sprintec. My PMS symptoms are very light, I barely cramp, and my 'periods' are very short. Although it's never fresh red blood, it's always brown when I take the week break. No breakthrough bleeding or anything like that, though. I have a low sex drive, but it's been that way basically since I started taking birth control a little over a year ago, and I can't say if it's because of the birth control or not or if a different brand would affect sex drive better. But overall, I don't have any complaints, and it seems to work pretty well."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 13, 2021

For Birth Control "I’m an 18-year-old girl, and I’ve currently been on this pill for about 3-4 months. Although it has allowed me to have lighter periods. That is, for me, the ONLY positive side effect. This pill has caused me severe anxiety, loss of appetite, hopelessness, migraines, and nausea, constantly tired and just overall destroyed my sex drive and ability to feel pleasure. I genuinely thought I was crazy, and I even enrolled myself in counseling. Come to find out, the pharmacist lady randomly overshared to me her crazy stories of what birth control had done to her, and I ended up researching Junel. Although everyone is different and I may be a rare case of bad side effects, getting off this pill may have saved my life. I highly recommend, DO NOT TAKE THIS PILL if you are someone who already struggled with anxiety and self-esteem issues. I seriously thought I was crazy."

• Ano...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 3, 2023

For Birth Control "I started taking Junel about 3 years ago after having a bad experience with Haley FE beforehand. After hearing bad reviews about it, I feel like I'd give my personal experience with it. I absolutely love it. I actually lost about 10 lbs and have been maintaining it since the beginning. It's actually pretty easy to lose weight on it. My cramps are practically nonexistent, if not, they last maybe a couple of hours. My periods only last about 3 days (if I decide to have one that month). The only drawback is my sex drive is not very high, but I don't mind it since I am in a LDR."

• 912...
• February 15, 2023

For Birth Control "I took Junel 1/20 for almost 6 months. I experienced the following side effects: nausea, vomiting, feeling faint with sudden hot flashes, depression, low libido, brain fog, dizziness, weight gain. I do NOT recommend."

• Ano...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• April 17, 2025

For Birth Control "I originally took this medication to help control my acne. I also have PCOS but still avoided getting birth control till I started developing cystic acne on my face to the point where my face would swell up and I couldn’t talk or speak. This is the first and only birth control I’ve ever been on. At first, it worked great! Within a week, all my acne completely vanished and my painful/heavy periods completely went away. But over time, I noticed that my mood, weight, and sex drive started to decline. The first one I noticed right away was my sex drive. Within the first month, it was barely there, which was a little disheartening since I currently am with someone, but I just had no need. Over time, it got worse. The second thing I noticed after that was my weight 1-2 years in. Now my mood has dropped pretty bad. I’m scared to go off it due to the acne and PCOS, but I think I need to mentally for my health."

• Jam...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 9, 2021

For Birth Control "I was on the generic form of Junel 1/20 (norethindrone acetate and ethinyl estradiol) for 6 months. I did not take it continuously and had a 7-day break after 21 active days. I, unfortunately, had too many side effects, and after 6 months needed to switch. My side effects included acne/rash, bloating 24/7, weight gain of 10 lbs, mood swings with depressive episodes, lack of sex drive, lack of energy, and breakthrough bleeding every other week lasting about a week (2 weeks out of 4 a month). The breakthrough bleeding was the last straw. 2 positives were no pregnancy scares and my bleeding was so light that I needed only liners or light tampons. This pill caused me to have a dark brown discharge for half of the month. I switched to Tri-Estarylla and so far no issues with this pill."