Dr. Jyoti

According to contemporary medical studies, loss of sexual desire is more common in women than in men. As many as 3 in 10 women have reduced or limited sexual interest in any kind of sexual activity. While the medical term for this problem is Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD), it is generally understood as a loss of libido.
There are multiple factors that contribute to this problem including psychiatric or physical disorders, relationship issues, hormonal disorders etc. Let us look at the causes of this disorder at length:
1. Medical Disorders:
a) There are conditions such as endometriosis, fibroids and thyroid disorders that may have a negative impact on the sexual drive of a woman.
b) Certain medicines such as antidepressants, oral contraceptives, and medicines that lower blood pressure may also negatively impact the sexual drive in women.
2. Hormonal Disorders:
a) Dryness of the vagina and pain during sexual intercourse may affect sexual drive both mentally and physically.
b) After menopause, drop in the count of testosterone hormone also affects sexual drive which can result in loss of libido.
c) With advancing age, the level of androgens decrease, and hence results in a lack of sexual desire.
3. Lifestyle Disorders:
a) In some of the cases, lack of emotional support in a relationship plays a significant role in the loss of libido. Post baby 'coolness' may also act as a driving force for loss in libido.
b) In today's era, changing lifestyle is drastically affecting our lives. Following an unhealthy lifestyle may result in increased weight that may affect self-image, and indirectly may also affect the sexual desire.
c) Stress and job, family pressure and exhaustion may also influence sexual desire of a woman.
4. Psychological factors
a) Increasing cases of depression, anxiety, frustration, stress is also an important cause of loss of libido in the contemporary society.
b) After childbirth, new moms tend to suffer from lack of sleep, insufficient lubrication of the vagina and exhaustion, which may affect her sexual desire.
The first and foremost step towards dealing with it is to make your partner understand your problem. Then, it is important to consult a doctor to find out the underlying cause, thereafter, treatment of the cause can normalize the condition. Since there are multiple causes of the problem, there are different ways by which the loss of libido can be easily managed and treated. Some of them are discussed below:
1. Treatment of Hormonal Disorders: The doctors will suitably treat problems like thyroids or recommend surgical treatment for fibroids to manage HSSD.
2. Change in Medications: Since some of the medications are responsible for the lack of libido, the doctors will replace the medications to reverse this lack.
3. Addressing the psychological factors: Your doctor will either arrange for suitable psychiatric sessions or ask your partner to coordinate mutually.
4. Sex Therapy/Relationship Counseling or Testosterone Therapy: While sex therapy or relationship counseling brings back the interest by effectively counseling the individual, Testosterone therapy involves off-label usage of testosterone hormone since it is not recommended by FDA.
Proper treatment and consulting a Sexologist can reverse this disorder efficiently. So, talk about the problem more openly to seek proper guidance and cure.