Me (Not) So Horny

A young woman wonders why she isn’t interested in sex anymore. No outside influences such as drugs, tubal ligation, or hysterectomy. What could be the cause of this young woman’s lack of desire?

Case #: 520

Concern：

I've been having trouble getting interested in sex lately. My boyfriend of four years broke up with me a few months ago, in part because I just wasn’t as interested in sex as he was. I guess the truth is, I was not that into him. Don't get me wrong, I do like sex. But ever since I hit my late 20s (30 now), I feel like I'm craving it less and less. Is this normal? I feel like everything is okay with my body. Not doing drugs or taking any medications. Any thoughts?

Discussion：

Your body will naturally go through periods of strong sexual desire and an abatement of that desire. It could be due to things as minor as a stressful situation at work, or as chronic as a bad relationship. I do not think that your lack of desire is anything to be worried about, but I do think it is in response to your current psychological state. You state that you “just [weren’t] into” your last boyfriend, and that you recently broke up. I think those two facts alone can explain why you’re experiencing a lessening in your desire levels.

Cortisol Cock Block

Not being interested in someone is enough to cause a decrease in sexual desire, but I feel there was more at play. I wonder what caused you and your ex to break up. Were you constantly dissatisfied? Did you feel bored? Did he respect you?

Even in a happy relationship, feelings of irritation and boredom might find vent through a lessening of libido. This is due to the stress hormones released during such a period. Cortisol and norepinephrine are two stress hormones that play a critical part in how well you function sexually. When you’re anxious or stressed, estrogen, progesterone and testosterone levels drop, while cortisol rises. Testosterone is what causes people to desire sex.

If you’re feeling tense, chances are you’re probably not going to want to have sex. Even if you don’t think you’re feeling upset, chances are you might still have deep-seated irritations effecting you. Obviously breaking up and the subsequent loneliness you feel would also cause a stressful hormonal response.

Norepinephrine Non-response

Norepinephrine also has an impact on your sexual response, but it deals more with how your brain perceives sexual enjoyment. As norepinephrine is derived from dopamine, which is a pleasure biofeedback, the more norepinephrine present in a system, the less dopamine is available to signal enjoyment. Stress and anxiety increase norepinephrine in the body, and studies have proven that women with higher levels of it display much lower levels of sexual arousal than woman with levels in the normal range.

Libido Lifters

Try to engage in stress relieving activities such as massages, meditation and yoga. You might contemplate joining a group with similar interests as yourself as a way to meet people, feel connected, and less alone. As stress levels subside, your desire for sex should start to re-emerge.

If you don’t see results with this approach, consider this: when women are diagnosed as having clinically low sex drive, they are usually proscribed testosterone in the form of DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone), which generally proves effective. However, if testosterone levels are not critically low, the increased androgens can result in facial hair, acne, or other unwanted side effects.

If you choose to pursue a hormonal approach, it is important to first undergo a saliva test for hormone levels, to ensure that you’re not going to exacerbate the issue. If you’d like to increase your libido naturally, you should try an herbal compound that includes Maca root, featured in Inca Libido Formula.

Maca root has a proven desire enhancing effect, with none of the extra worries that accompany hormonal self-medication. Good luck revamping your sex drive!