Female libido: how does the increase or decrease in libido occur, what to do with it

Female libido: how does the increase or decrease in libido occur, what to do with it

There is no standard regulating libido in women, but sometimes it may seem like your personal libido might be stronger (or weaker). How to understand that something is wrong and what to do with this “evil”? Let’s talk in detail.

How do you know if everything is in order with your libido and if you should go to the doctor? We have tried to collect as much information as possible about female libido for you.

The content of the article

Do not take care! In our articles, we collect the latest scientific data and the opinions of authoritative health experts. But remember: only a doctor can diagnose and prescribe treatment.

What is libido in women? This term was coined by the famous psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud. He understood by libido not only sexual desire, but sexual desire as a whole in all its nuances – how much a woman wants to have sex, how much she gets satisfaction from the process, the result and her sexuality in general. This is a complex concept, and there is no standard for female libido – even if it is not too high or, conversely, well above average, if at the same time the woman -even is satisfied with everything and his quality of life does not deteriorate due to libido, then with him Everything is fine. Even if the strength of your sexual desire does not match that of your partner, it does not mean that something is wrong with either of you. One woman has enough sex once a month, another wants to merge with a partner several times a day, and this is completely normal. However, in some cases the question still arises of how to increase libido in women or, conversely, reduce it.

What affects libido

Of course, there is no single factor that, like a red pimple, would activate libido in women or, conversely, turn it off. Sexual desire in women is controlled by a whole combination of various factors, and among them there are both biological and physical. Since female sexuality is not a very popular topic among scientists, the list below may not be complete, but we have tried to list the main influencing factors that are currently known.

  • Hormone balance. Attraction, which is quite logical, depends on the level of sex hormones, including estradiol (it is the main hormone of libido in women), progesterone and testosterone. The first is responsible for sensuality in general, the second increases sharply after the middle of the menstrual cycle, increasing libido, and the third is responsible for passion, fantasies and physiological sensations of sex, of course, at a low level , a woman does not have enough pleasure and may prefer something to love games , in her opinion, more pleasant. Another hormone that can lower libido is prolactin. By nature, a woman breastfeeding a child should not be interested in sex, so this hormone is both responsible for lactation and suppresses sexual desire.
  • Age. This factor can influence quite unexpectedly – for example, in the region of the 40s, the libido on average does not decrease, but increases, there are more fantasies, sexual activity increases. This may be due to a decrease in fertility – in this case, an increase in libido also increases the chances of getting pregnant, which is entirely justified by evolution. Another possible reason why age may matter is that a mature woman already knows what she wants and how, and she also cares less about appearance than she did in her youth.
  • Psychological and social factors. If a woman experiences some kind of sex trauma, her libido will be reduced. Likewise, if she is stressed (stress hormones suppress the production of sex hormones). Education, public opinion and many other nuances have an impact.
  • Factors related to physiology. Certain illnesses can reduce libido, and the consumption of alcohol, tobacco and physical activity also play a role.
  • To take pills. With hormonal contraceptives, a decrease in libido is almost always on the list of side effects, and some other drugs can also suppress sexual desire.

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The female libido changes throughout the cycle, its fluctuations are also normal, it is necessary to worry if the sexual desire has radically changed in one direction or another without more or less obvious reasons. Such changes can mean that something is wrong with the body.

Increased libido in women: how to determine and what to do

Increased female libido is considered such a potentially harmful sexual desire, such as compulsive sexual behavior or hypersexuality. The main characteristics that distinguish too high a libido from the norm are lack of control and negative consequences for a person. If sex becomes the main goal of life, leaving family, career, hobbies and other things far behind, then most likely such a problem needs to be treated by a doctor.

Symptoms of painful increase in libido:

  • sexual fantasies and related activities take up too much of your time, it seems like everything is out of control;
  • you are too strongly attracted to certain sexual practices, after having indulged in them, you feel both relief and guilt;
  • you use sex as a way to hide from problems – anxiety, loneliness, stress;
  • you have sex that could lead to serious negative consequences: sexually transmitted diseases, problems at work, in the family, in finances or with the law, but you cannot stop;
  • you have tried several times to cope with your sexual desires, but you cannot manage it, you feel dependent on them;
  • your sexual desire prevents you from building a healthy and stable relationship with a partner.

In summary, if you have real problems with your libido, and not just because you and your partner have different sexual appetites, it may be worth seeing a doctor.

Possible causes of excessive libido:

  • an imbalance of neurotransmitters are chemicals found in the human brain that are responsible for its mood: dopamine, serotonin and others. it may be a symptom of a neurological disease;
  • hormonal disorders – some endocrine diseases can increase sexual desire too much;
  • taking medication, such as for Parkinson’s disease.

Accordingly, if your libido prevents you from living, you may need to consult a sex therapist, an endocrinologist, a neurologist. Perhaps these doctors will direct you towards complementary examinations or towards other specialists. An excessive increase in libido in women is perhaps even more dangerous than a decrease in it, because some of the consequences of compulsive sexual behavior can be really dangerous.

Decreased Libido in Women: Symptoms and Treatment

The question of how to increase female libido worries men and women much more often than vice versa: nevertheless, dangerously increased sexual desire is rare in women, but reduced is not at all. Many factors can negatively affect libido. Among them, for example, fatigue familiar to all women – from work, household chores, child care or elderly parents. As we said, reduces libido stress. Many diseases, both physical and mental, suppress sexual desire, in addition, reduce libido, genital surgery, pain and any discomfort during intercourse, hormonal changes during the period of perimenopause and beyond, pregnancy, breastfeeding, certain medications, lifestyle habits, low autonomy. esteem, traumatic incidents, monotony – in couples, the attraction becomes less strong over time, and this is normal.

Often a partner with higher sexual needs plays a role in lowering libido if he is not overly attentive to a woman and her desires. Several times experienced forced sex – and you’re done, the woman lost her libido. At the same time, there is no answer to the question of how to quickly increase this libido in women: as we have already said, sexual desire is a complex concept, and to improve the situation with it , it can take a lot of work with several risk factors at once.

A decreased libido is considered a problem when:

  • you have no interest in any type of sex, including self-gratification;
  • you hardly think about sex;
  • (most important) it bothers you and you want to change it.

The last point is the most important, because if you don’t need sex and you’re completely satisfied with it, there’s no point in changing anything. However, in this article we will not consider this case, since active actions are not needed there. But if you want to know how to increase female libido, you still have to do something.

First of all, you need to make an appointment with a gynecologist. During the interview and examination, the doctor will determine if there are any physiological problems that prevent sexual pleasure: lesions, dryness, thinning of the tissues. Then, most likely, you will have to take tests to find out if you have anemia, hormonal or other disorders that could change your attitude towards love games. You may need to see a sex therapist or psychotherapist to address the underlying causes of low libido.

As a solution to the problem, you may be offered:

  • sexologist consultations;
  • drugs that increase libido in women, such as nutritional supplements, phytoestrogens; there are two drugs called “female Viagra” – flibanserin and bremelanotide – but their safety is a big question.
  • in some cases, for example, when a decrease in libido is observed during menopause, hormone therapy may be prescribed.

Here is an example of a doctor’s recommendation:

Lifestyle changes can also help.

  • Regular physical activity. They act in a complex way – they improve body tone, help you stay in shape, lift your spirits and increase libido.
  • Dealing with stress. Breathing techniques, yoga, psychology, meditation – use any method to be less nervous.
  • Heart-to-heart conversations with a partner. Perhaps he does not suspect that some of his actions distract you from sex, and others, on the contrary, attract you.
  • Bring “flavor” to your sex life. New position, new place, new toy, more time for foreplay.
  • Exclusion of bad habits. Evaluate your feelings of sex without alcohol or cigarettes, if you use them, these feelings may be more acute.

Source: The Voice Mag

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