While a lack of sex drive is a common thing for women, men don’t often suffer from it. The American Medical Association suggests that several million women suffer from what is known as the female sexual arousal disorder, or FSAD. In fact, there is a current belief that has led doctors to label 43 percent of the population with this condition, claiming that they have low libidos. In the UK, there is a number of family planning clinics and relationship clinics which see a large proportion of women claiming to have a low sex drive – studies suggest that at any one time, several hundred thousand women in Britain are burdened with a lack of sex drive. However, the majority of these women don’t have a problem achieving orgasm – it’s simply that their mind-set is not right for lovemaking, so they don’t get aroused as easily. The good thing is that the lack of sex drive is temporary and is easily overcome with various treatments, be it medical or psychosexual advice. There are a number of causes for a low libido, including anaemia, alcoholism, drug abuse, diabetes, post-baby ‘coolness’ which occurs after childbirth, and hormonal problems. People believe that the menopause causes a lack of sex drive, but this is just a myth – it’s actually a stage in a woman’s life that can make her feel more sexy and enables her to have more orgasms.
There are various causes for a low libido, many of which are emotionally fuelled. For example, depression, stress, anxiety, hang-ups from childhood, past sexual experiences and relationship problems are all things which can affect your sex drive. Some people find that their living conditions can affect their desire to have sex too, such as if you’re living with friends or in-laws. If you’re suffering with this problem, you should start by speaking to your GP – they can talk through the problem with you and run any necessary tests. The alternative is visiting your local family planning clinic where they can offer you advice on how to deal with the problem. There have been many attempts to create a female equivalent of Viagra, but no such product has been created yet – most experts agree that combating the emotional problems and being with a loving partner can help you defeat the problem. Hormones are usually suggested to treat FSAD, in particular testosterone which is the male sex hormone. You can be prescribed a patch which is only currently licensed to women who have had surgically induced menopause, and who are already receiving oestrogen therapy – this is a small group of people though. Sex aids and vibrators can help women with a low libido, as they can encourage them to enjoy sex again and learn about the rhythms of their body, and what they enjoy in bed.
A low libido isn’t an untreatable problem – it’s simply a case of working out what the problem actually is. For example, if it is a bad sexual experience from your past, speaking to a counselor may be useful in order for you to talk to someone outside of your friends or family who can offer impartial advice. If it is stress or an emotional problem, therapy can be a way of overcoming the problem and will allow you to enjoy sex once again. Many women find that once they’ve overcome the stress or emotional barriers to sex, their libido returns to normal on its own. Furthermore, if it is a physical problem then your GP can offer you treatment options, so that your sex drive can return to normal as a result.
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