Causes Of Low Sex Drive In Women: Top 11 Reasons To Know

In this article, we’ll discuss some common causes of low sex drive in women, and offer brief insights to solve such issues.

Introduction

At various stages of their sexual life, women might feel their sex drive starting to ebb. This can be due to hormonal changes such as those that occur during pregnancy or around menopause. At the same time, it can also be a result of stress or depression, or other psychological causes.

Some fluctuations in sexual desire are unavoidable and often essential (such as after delivery). But when you experience a loss of libido for a prolonged duration, you might start to wonder if something is wrong with your body. This causes added frustration and may also lead to a tiff with your partner.

The good news, however, is that low sex drive in women is reversible in most cases. All that is needed is a proper diagnosis. To gain a better understanding of the possible causes of your decreased libido, you can go through the listed ones in this post. Identifying them will help you steer clear of avoidable factors that lower your sexual desire.

Also Read: Low Libido Signs, Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments

Causes Of Low Sex Drive In Women

Read on to know the causes of low sex drive in women.

1. Problems in the Relationship

If you and your partner are experiencing relationship problems, it is highly likely to reflect onto your sex life. You should consider if you have any doubts or worries about the relationship when you find your sex drive getting affected.

Relationship issues that can negatively affect sexual desire are:

• Unresolved conflict
• A sudden increase in shared responsibilities
• Lack of proper communication
• Frequent arguments
• Trust issues
• Being in a long-term relationship
• A decrease in sexual attraction

Identifying such issues by yourself or with the help of a relationship counselor is important. Once you deal with these problems, you will see a remarkable improvement in sex drive.

2. Performance Issues of Your Partner

Women might get disinterested in sex if their partner has performance issues. These can include:

• Erectile Dysfunction: In Erectile Dysfunction, a man is unable to have or maintain an erection. Naturally, this results in an unsatisfactory sexual experience for both partners.
• Premature ejaculation: Premature Ejaculation, or PE, is a sexual problem faced by men in which ejaculation occurs soon after the initiation of the sexual act. Due to this, they will reach their orgasm usually before there is adequate intercourse.

These problems have varied causes that can be treated by a health professional or sometimes by making simple lifestyle changes such as the ones detailed in this article.

3. Personal Sexual Problems

Aside from the problems faced by their partner, women may have some sexual problems of their own. These include:

• Painful sex (dyspareunia)
• Vaginal dryness
• Inability to have an orgasm
• Involuntary spasm or tightening of the vagina (vaginismus)

All these can make sex difficult and undesirable for a woman. If you experience any of these conditions, you should seek the help of a medical professional.

4. Stress

Everyday life can throw several curveballs your way. The challenge of a new assignment you took up at work could be causing you significant distress. Similarly, moving to a new and unfamiliar place can feel stressful for a while.

Stress manifests itself in the form of several physical and mental health problems. Needless to say, your sex drive is also negatively affected by this. Carefully identifying the stressors in your life, and taking steps to either eliminate them or to diminish their impact is vital to get your sex life back on track.

5. Fatigue

Do you always feel overwhelmed with the sheer amount of work you need to get done in a day? And do you find yourself running on empty before the day is at an end? If so, you likely can’t even seem to have the energy to do anything, least of all sex, other than hit the sack as soon as you can.

Exhaustion and fatigue are among the most common causes of diminished sexual desire. This happens because your mind and body are overworked. In such a state, your bed does invite you, but only to rest.

To solve this problem you need to improve the quality of your sleep. You should re-evaluate your commitments, adjust your schedule, and ensure a full eight hours of sleep every night. Often, switching to a healthier and lighter diet can also give you a renewed boost of energy that can help increase your sex drive.

See also: Lack of Sleep 11 Signs You Are Not Getting Enough Sleep

6. Depression

Depression is a serious and common mental illness that affects more women than men. It affects several aspects of an individual’s daily life, often even to the point of being a disability. When a woman suffers from clinical depression, her sex drive is sure to be impacted. She will feel hopeless, sad, and uninterested in doing anything.

If you experience any of these symptoms for over a long duration, you should visit a general practitioner or a psychologist, to help evaluate your condition. They will prescribe an antidepressant aside from cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) to help you get better.

A thing to keep in mind is that sometimes antidepressant medications can also lead to low sex drive in women. If you notice a reduced sexual desire in you after taking antidepressants, you should consult your doctor regarding a change in medication.

7. Underlying Health Conditions

Other health conditions can also lead to low sex drive in women, especially if they have been around for a long time. The health problems themselves might cause a physical and mental strain on you. At the same time, the treatment regimen you undertake for these conditions might be the main culprits behind your decreased libido.

The most common illnesses that have a negative impact on the sex life of women are:

• Diabetes
• Heart problems
• Hypothyroidism (low levels of thyroid hormones in the body)

These can be treated by a medical professional. However, keep in mind that certain medications for these diseases are also responsible for low libido.

8. Menopause

Menopause is a stressful time for a woman. The hormonal changes that accompany menopause inevitably affect sexual functions and sexual desire. Hot flushes, sleep disturbances, irregular periods, and mood changes appear along with vaginal dryness which makes sex an uncomfortable and, as such, undesirable experience.

While you can’t avert menopause, you can try to lessen the impact of menopausal changes by consulting a physician. They’ll usually recommend medications that target specific symptoms and, if necessary, they can begin hormone replacement therapy as well. Replacing lost estrogen and progesterone might be vital to alleviate certain troublesome symptoms of menopause.

9. Pregnancy, Delivery, and Breastfeeding

Hormonal changes and physical changes appearing in your body along with the exhaustion of dealing with pregnancy, giving birth, and caring for a newborn are enough to make women lose interest in sex for a while.

This is normal and happens to most women going through these important times in their journey of being a mother. Yet, you might get concerned if the decreased libido lasts for longer than you anticipated.

Also Read: Decreased Libido? Try These Natural Supplements For Increasing Your Sex Drive

If this is the case with you, see a doctor and gain knowledge of how to have safe sex during pregnancy, after delivery, and even when you are a lactating mother.

10. Contraceptive Use

Hormonal contraceptive pills like Yasmin birth control, vaginal rings like NuvaRing generic, contraceptive implants, and injections can also affect your libido negatively. If you have recently started oral contraceptives or installed a vaginal ring, it helps to let your doctor know about your concerns regarding their use.

In case the contraceptives are severely impacting your sex drive, your GP might suggest alternative methods of contraception.

Read: Best Contraception Options for Both Men and Women

11. Alcohol and Drug Abuse

Indulging in alcohol or drugs is not good for your health or your libido. Small amounts of liquor do help to get you in the mood. But consuming alcohol in large quantities or more often than the recommended daily or weekly limit is sure to lower your sex drive. It also sets you up for risky sexual behavior which is something you would want to avoid.

Cut down on the number of drinks you take and avoid drug intake. If you find this difficult, you can take the help of family and friends and in some cases, even that of a doctor.

Causes Of Low Sex Drive In Women: Conclusion

It is more common for a woman to feel less interested in sex than a man. Hormonal changes and the various biological, as well as societal roles that women have to play, are a major cause of this. Yet, most causes of low sex drive in women are reversible and easily managed.

It also helps to exercise often, switch to a healthy diet, and avoid stress-inducing situations as best you can. Psychological counseling might also help you feel better about your body as well as yourself, and ultimately improve sexual desire and the quality of your sex life.

You might also try female viagra if your doctor indicates that you have a very low sex drive, aka HSDD (hypoactive sexual desire disorder).