There are plenty of stereotypes and old tropes surrounding the sex drives of men and women. While it’s true that men typically have stronger sexual desires than women, that doesn’t mean the two genders have mismatched libidos, as a whole.
But, when women genuinely struggle with low sex drives, there are often some underlying causes that should be considered.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at what causes low sex drive in women, and what you can do about it if it’s affecting your relationship or other aspects of your life.
Understanding What’s Natural
First, it’s important to recognize that your sex drive can fluctuate over the years for completely natural and normal reasons. Women tend to go through more physical changes than men throughout their lifetimes. Those changes can have a direct impact on your libido.
Things like pregnancy, menopause, or even chronic health conditions can all cause issues with your hormones and end up decreasing your sex drive. If you’re going through any of these changes, they’re likely the cause of your low libido. However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t address the issue with your doctor.
Recognizing the Symptoms of a Low Sex Drive
Most people hear the phrase “low sex drive” and assume it just means you’re never interested in having sex. But, the symptoms can go far beyond that. Some of the additional symptoms you might experience include:
- No interest in any type of sexual activity
- Never experiencing sexual thoughts
- Being concerned about your lack of interest in sex
- Feelings of dissatisfaction about your lack of desire
You’re also likely to hear concerns from your partner, if you’re in a romantic relationship. Sex isn’t the most important factor of a healthy relationship, but it’s one of them. If you’ve had talks with your partner about your lack of interest or if it’s caused issues in your relationship, consider it a sign that something more is going on than just not wanting to have sex for no real reason.
External Factors
Once you rule out any medical issues or some of the natural life processes women go through, you can look at some potential external factors that could be impacting your libido.
Stress can play a big role. While stress impacts everyone, it can impact women differently thanks to hormones like cortisol and oxytocin. When these hormones are elevated due to stress, it can lead to changes in your sex drive. Stress from your relationship, work, financial situation, or other areas of life can all contribute to low libido.
Your image and self-esteem can also cause issues with your sex drive. If you have low self-esteem or body image issues, you might have a lower libido because you don’t see yourself as a sexual being. You might not like to fantasize about sexual things because you don’t like to see yourself in those situations. You might also struggle to see how your partner could find you attractive or appealing, so you choose to avoid that kind of physical intimacy.
Relationship issues could also be triggering a low sex drive. If you’re dealing with communication issues, trust issues, or just letting stressors from other areas of life affect you as a couple, it could impact your intimacy.
What Can You Do?
Thankfully, there are several ways to boost your libido, starting with lifestyle changes. Increasing your intake of vitamins B3, E, and D can help. Getting more exercise and prioritizing sleep and self-care can also make a difference.
However, if external factors are what’s causing your low sex drive, one of the best things you can do is to talk to someone. Getting to the root cause and working out a plan to overcome those issues won’t just make a difference in your sex life – it will improve your overall quality of life and the way you feel about yourself.
Don’t hesitate to reach out to learn more about therapy for women or couples therapy.