It is true that we are sometimes guilty in modern society of assuming that men always have a higher sex drive than women – and by extension that women naturally have a low sex drive. But the fact of the matter is that the neither of these two statements are necessarily true and indeed it is an example of where we should not simply rely on cliché and stereotype for our beliefs and opinions. The reality of the situation is that it is far more complicated – some women have a high sex drive, some men have a low sex drive and while in general it may be true that men are more likely to have a high sex drive, and women more likely to have a low sex drive, it is damaging to always make assumptions.
What is actually natural is that the sex drive of women fluctuates throughout life, rather than it being a constant of either high or low. Depending on major life events such as a relationship starting or ending, a pregnancy, an illness or going through the menopause, it’s true that the sex drive of a woman can change all of the time. So having a low sex drive should be looked at to see if there are external causal factors or whether it is some sort of illness or condition that is responsible. Some medications can cause a low sex drive, for instance.
But in the case where there are no obvious causal factors for low sex drive, it can be due to hypoactive sexual desire disorder – which can cause a consistent lack of personal interest in having sex or engaging in sexual activity. This can be a very distressing condition and it is worth going to the doctor if you are worried that you may be suffering from it. But it is also important to note that you can seek help even if you don’t meet these medical criteria – if you are bothered by your low sex drive it can be well worth getting help as there are many techniques that you can use including sexual techniques and lifestyle that can help to increase your sex drive.
The truth is that there is not necessarily going to be a way that you can define having a low sex drive. Everyone has a different sex drive and having less of a sex drive than your partner doesn’t necessarily mean that yours is especially low – it could just mean that theirs is higher than yours. And it is worth pointing out that having a low sex drive does not necessarily mean that your relationship is in trouble – it could be as strong as even but there are other factors causing problems for your sex drive.
There are a huge number of causes ranging from sexual problems that you are having, other medical problems in your life, medications that you are taking, alcohol or drugs that you consume on a regular basis, recent surgery or even fatigue. Aside from these physical issues it can also be down to hormonal changes such as the menopause or through pregnancy. And it is even true that it can be down to either psychological or relationship issues.
There are a number of potential treatments that can range from anything from medications, counselling or hormone therapies – your doctor will be able to recommend the best course of action for you. You can also choose treatments such as lifestyle changes including getting more exercise, setting aside more time for sex and removing stress from your life.