In a time when an increasing number of sexually active women are suffering from various sexual problems, here is a newsworthy item that might offer hope to millions out there: combined oral contraceptive pills can boost female sex drive and sexual pleasure.

Italian researchers say that the use of combined oral contraceptives following laparoscopic surgery can help treat sexual dysfunction in women suffering from deep infiltrating endometriosis. The role of hormonal birth control is as important as the surgery, indicates the novel study.

Spearheaded by Dr Mohamed Mabrouk of the University of Bologna in Italy, the research team examined 106 women with deep infiltrating endometriosis to see if they report an increased level of sexual satisfaction after lesion op followed by combined oral contraceptive therapy.

The study report, published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine, noted that six months of contraceptive usage after laparoscopic surgery yielded positive results for the participants.

On completion of the study, the subjects shared their experience by filling in a questionnaire titled Sexual Health Outcomes in Women Questionnaire (SHOW-Q). They reported noticeable improvement in areas such as sexual desire, pelvic pain during intercourse and satisfaction with sex in general.

Quite significantly, women who underwent nodule excision and intestinal resection did not report any improvement in the quality of their sex lives, said the researchers.