Women lack sexual desire

Women's sexual desires naturally fluctuate over the years. Highs and lows commonly coincide with the beginning or end of a relationship or with major life changes, such as pregnancy, menopause or illness. Some medications used for mood disorders also can cause low sex drive in women. But you don't have to meet this medical definition to seek help.

By definition, you may be diagnosed with hypoactive sexual desire disorder if you frequently lack sexual thoughts or desire, and the absence of these feelings causes personal distress. Whether you fit this medical diagnosis or not, your doctor can look for reasons that your sex drive isn't as high as you'd like and find ways to help. Most women benefit from a treatment approach aimed at the many causes behind this condition. Recommendations may include sex education, counseling, and sometimes medication and hormone therapy. Talking with a sex therapist or counselor skilled in addressing sexual concerns can help with low sex drive. Therapy often includes education about sexual response and techniques. Your therapist or counselor likely will provide recommendations for reading materials or couples' exercises.

Low sex drive in women has many potential causes, including underlying medical issues, emotional or psychological problems, or work- and family-related stress. The good news is that identifying the root cause of low libido can lead to effective treatment options. It is not unusual for couples to have a disparity in their sex drives.

But when a woman has a low libido or low sexual desire and is bothered by this lack of interest in sex, she may have a condition called hypoactive sexual desire disorder HSDD. This distress is an important component. After all, some women with what is considered a low libido may not have any distress or problems with a partner as a result. HSDD is treatable and can be manageable, so the first step if you are concerned about a lack of interest in sex is to talk to a healthcare provider to see what options are available. The first four questions are:.