GLP-1 weight-loss drugs are changing how people date and connect. In a nationally representative survey of 2,000 single US adults (ages 18 to 91) led by the Kinsey Institute at Indiana University with DatingAdvice.com, GLP-1 users reported a wide range of physical, social, and psychological shifts they attributed to the drug.
Among respondents, 8% (n= 155) reported having used a GLP-1 medication to assist with weight loss, with no significant difference in use between men and women.
Among GLP-1 users, 59% reported at least one impact of the drug on their dating life including:
- 17% purchased new clothing to show off their body
- 16% said they heard from exes or former partners who wanted to reconnect
- 14% said they were getting more matches on dating apps
- 13% felt more confident posting photos of themselves online
- 12% felt more confident asking other people out
- 12% said they were going on more dates
“GLP-1 use is rising among single adults and it’s starting to influence more than just how people look and feel about themselves,” says Dr. Amanda Gesselman, Research Scientist at the Kinsey Institute and one of the study’s authors.
With some polls suggesting that as many as 12% of the population have tried GLP-1 medications such as Ozempic, Zepbound, and Wegovy, understanding the significant social and psychological shifts that come with using these drugs is increasingly important.
“These shifts have the potential to reshape how people build intimacy in today’s dating landscape,” says Dr. Gesselman. “For example, as users report reduced appetites and lower interest in alcohol, the classic dinner-and-drinks date may give way to new methods of connecting.”
Approximately half (52%) of GLP-1 users also reported the medication had impacted their sex lives, in both positive and negative ways. For example:
- 18% said their sexual desire increased; 16% said it decreased
- 16% said they’re more comfortable with how they look naked; 14% said they’re less comfortable
- 16% said their sexual function improved; 12% said it worsened
“I think there’s a very nuanced story to tell here,” says Dr. Justin Lehmiller, Senior Research Fellow at the Kinsey Institute and one of the study’s authors says. “How these drugs impact your sex life will depend on a variety of factors, including drug dosage and drug type, speed of weight loss, starting and ending weight, and how much you changed your health and fitness habits at the same time.”
Survey findings also revealed sizable differences by gender, with men appearing to experience both more positive and more negative side-effects of GLP-1 use. Compared to women, men were twice as likely to say their libido had increased, they were happier with their bodies, and they had better sexual function. However, men were also twice as likely as women to report low libido, feeling worse about their bodies, and decreased sexual function since taking a GLP-1.
The results also suggested that GLP-1 medications could be giving men a bigger boost in their dating lives than women. Men were three times more likely than women to say they felt more confident in their appearance and that they were getting more matches on dating apps. In addition, men were twice as likely to say they were going on more dates.
Yet men also felt more stigma, with 60% reporting fear around being judged or shamed for taking a GLP-1 medication versus 35% of women. This stigma isn’t without cause as 26% of the 2,000 people surveyed said they would not date someone taking a GLP-1 and a further 29% were unsure.
When asked why, the most common reasons cited included not knowing enough about the long-term side effects of these drugs (49%), these medications being overused (32%), beliefs that weight loss should be managed by lifestyle not medication (29%), and feeling that the people who really need these medications aren’t getting them because too many people are using them for purely cosmetic purposes instead of health reasons (21%).
