Low Sex Drive in Women

What is the lack of sexual desire?

When women are dissatisfied with their sex life, it is usually because they have little or no sex drive. The problem can be difficult to treat. Sexual desire is not a constant size. Precisely because the desire for sex may vary from person to person and from one phase of life to another, there is no formula for when a person has too much or too little light. It is therefore only if the woman think she has a sexual problem, you will consider examination and treatment.

In addition, both sexual desire is a physical, a physical and a social phenomenon. There can therefore be both biological, psychological and social reasons that sex drive diminishes or disappears. The desire may be affected by a variety of circumstances in daily life and relationships, and in some cases, lack of desire a healthy and natural signs of stress, crisis, bad mood or cohabitation problems. Bright problems must always be viewed in a holistic perspective.

How common is decreased sexual desire?

Population studies have shown that between one in ten and one half of adult women have experienced lack of desire, which they saw as problematic. The condition is most common among middle-aged and older women. But both young, middle aged and older women may have problems with too little sex drive, particularly if there is a big difference between the parties in a relationship in terms of desire.

Lack of sexual desire can be something that soon passes, but it can also extend over long periods. For some women it is normal that rarely or never have sex.

About the sexual response pattern

Women’s sexual response pattern is traditionally described as a chain of stages where sexual pleasure constantly increases. The process usually begins with the fact that the woman has sex that she is “turned on”. While she fondles with himself or his partner, she experiences growing intensity until she reaches climax orgasm. This may occur in connection with masturbation , “petting” or intercourse.

All phases of the sexual response pattern can be disrupted. This is the excitement, enjoyment and orgasm phase phase. A woman can thus both find it hard to get excited, to indulge in sexual pleasure and orgasm (although she is excited and enjoying the sexual situation). Often – but far from always – all three phases of the reaction pattern disrupted simultaneously.

What causes decreased sexual desire?

All health problems can affect sexual desire and function. Illness and treatment can therefore be an important cause. Many drugs can also have the side effect that sexual desire disappears. It is primarily about means which reduces the effect of the sex hormones testosterone and estrogen, but it also applies to certain antidepressants. Also alcohol, marijuana and drugs can impair the ability and desire for sex. Similarly, a bad lifestyle (smoking, obesity and / or too little exercise) go beyond health and cause actual lifestyle diseases. It may again go beyond the desire for sex.

The male hormone testosterone is normally produced in small quantities in the ovaries and adrenal glands, and it affects women’s sexual pleasure sensation. If ovarian surgery away or destroyed by chemotherapy, it can lead to deficiency of testosterone and thus decreased sex.

Also life circumstances can affect sexual desire negatively. This applies for example for the young family with small kids and two careers that should be looked after. This applies in general fatigue, sadness, life crises and stress, but it is also the case with performance anxiety and decreased self-esteem, for example, if one does not seem to be living up to an ideal of how the body should look like. Similarly, you often see that women who have suffered sexual transgressions, abuse or trauma, will lack the desire to have sex.

If there are tensions or conflicts in the relationship, it can also affect libido. Sometimes the lack of desire a healthy sign of an unhealthy relationship. Moreover, followed a couple’s sexual desire curves rarely 100% ad, and it can slide on a life together, if one party often feel when the other does not have.

Finally, cultural norms help to trigger or reinforce the feeling of lack of desire. If a woman, for example, has its main knowledge about sex from the media and pornography, she may have unrealistic expectations of her body and her sexual performance. It can naturally affect sexual desire negatively.

How is it diagnosed?

The diagnosis put you. If you seek medical attention, you should think before following through:

• What are your expectations for your own sex life?
• How do you understand your body and your sexuality, as it is now?
• How is the relationship with your partner?
• Creating your reduced sex drive problems in your relationship?
• How is your health in general?
• Do you have any diseases?
• Do you use drugs?
• Has there been something special in your life lately?
• How is your work?

The doctor will typically ask for your overall life situation and to your relationship. He / she will also conduct a medical examination may also suggest a gynecological examination. If you think sex is uncomfortable or painful, the doctor will look for changes in the external genitalia, there are signs of infection or  prolapse of the womb  (prolapse), and you may have the disease endometriosis . Blood tests and other tests are rarely useful.

What treatments are available?

Treatment depends on the cause. Any medical problems to be treated and the drug side effects may consider changing your medication.

It is not uncommon that the desire for sexual intercourse decreases with age and with the duration of a relationship. There is nothing wrong with such changes, but if you and your partner feel it as a problem, there may be a basis for trying to do something about it. It is your own decision.

Important elements of treatment information, transparency / dialogue in the relationship, and possibly training in sexual techniques. Lifestyle changes can be present in the form of better stress management, time enough to rest, decreased alcohol and tobacco use and regular exercise.

Medical treatment has little or no effect. Supplementation of testosterone have been tried, and seems to have some effect on certain types decreased desire (eg light problems after surgical removal of the ovaries).Estrogen  locally in the vagina or as a treatment for hot flashes increases the moisture and gives better lubrication during intercourse after menopause. It increases not in itself sexual desire or arousal.

Sexological therapy (or. In the form of cohabitation or therapy) can be out of place in difficult cases. As a rule, both parties in a relationship participate in therapy sessions. Sexology treatment can take place at one of the country’s public sexological clinics with specially trained private practitioner or from a therapist, you yourself find and pay for out of pocket.

How is long-term prospects?

About libido returns or increases depends on the reason for the dropped. Bright problems caused by disease or treatment often disappear when you get well / better, or when treatment stops. If stress or other life circumstances are the cause, the desire for sex usually return if you manage to turn her life around. If you have relationship problems, you can get counseling with her partner. It assumes that you are motivated to face the problems and tackle them with openness, love and mutual respect.

Some like problems can be very difficult to treat. This applies for example by late consequences of sexual abuse of severe chronic illness or very difficult relationship conflicts. Here it’s partly about getting the necessary support, counseling and treatment, but especially to speak openly about the problems with his partner and as far as possible to find other ways to be sexual, so you do not end up in a situation where you finally dare not touch each other at all. So goes the sexual problem beyond the closeness and intimacy that should be in a good relationship.

With openness and honesty you get the longest.

How do I avoid or worsen decreased sexual desire?

If you or your partner for a long time experience lack of desire as a problem, it is important that you / I do something about it. In the long run it is a bad strategy to “fake” and lie more pleasurable than you are, and it’s rarely a good idea to have sex when you basically preferably free. If you find that they have a problem, you should talk openly and honestly about it with his partner. In many cases, only the confidentiality defuse misconceptions, guilt and remorse.

For older people it is generally important to keep the sex life, even if the spontaneous desire may not be as great as it has been. The excitement and the enjoyment usually come when you start to fondle each other.

If you are motivated to work more with the problem and not feel you can handle it alone, it’s always an opportunity to have a chat with your doctor. Feel free to bring your partner with. Lack of desire is always shared.