Adding an oral contraceptive did not show an overall sexual-function advantage in PCOS
Both groups received vitamin D. The contraceptive group had no significant overall advantage, while the placebo group reported greater sexual desire at follow-up.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
Among women with PCOS and vitamin D deficiency, adding a low-dose oral contraceptive did not produce a statistically significant overall sexual-function advantage over vitamin D with placebo. Sexual desire favored the placebo group at follow-up. Because everyone received vitamin D, this comparison cannot establish that the supplement itself caused the reported improvements.
The abstract's wording about when overall sexual-function scores improved is unclear. It provides no between-group effect sizes or confidence intervals, and there was no group without vitamin D to isolate the supplement's effect.
What researchers found
Sexual desire at 3 and 6 months, respectively
Desire was greater with placebo plus vitamin D than with contraceptive plus vitamin D. These P values do not describe the size of the difference.
What the randomization tested
The randomized difference was the contraceptive pill versus a similar placebo. Vitamin D was shared by both groups, so changes within either group do not isolate the effects of supplementation.
Overall and specific outcomes
The overall sexual-function conclusion and the sexual-desire result concern different outcomes. A nonsignificant overall difference does not establish equivalence, while a significant desire difference does not reveal how noticeable it was.
The original publication
The effect of hormonal contraceptives combined with vitamin D3 supplements on sexual dysfunction in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial.
Jahanian Sadatmahalleh S, Razavinia F, Lotfi R et al.
Arch Gynecol Obstet · 2025
- PubMed ID
- 40913650
- Record checked
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