If low sex desire concerns you, talk with your gynecologist or another member of your healthcare team. For some women, low sex drive is part of an ongoing condition called sexual interest-arousal disorder.
It involves having at least three of the following symptoms, which cause sadness or anxiety:. You don't have to fit this definition to reach out for help. Your healthcare professional can look for reasons that your sex drive isn't as high as you'd like. During your appointment, your healthcare professional asks you questions about your medical and sexual history.
Your health professional also might:. Most women benefit from a treatment approach aimed at the many causes behind this condition. Recommendations may include sex education, counseling, and sometimes medicine 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 offer recommendations for reading material or couples' exercises.
Couples counseling that addresses relationship issues also may help boost feelings of intimacy and desire. Your healthcare professional reviews any medicines you take. The review is done to see if any of the medicines tend to cause sexual side effects. If your antidepressant might be the cause of your low sex drive, your healthcare professional may recommend that you:. Switching to a different type of antidepressant may lead to fewer sexual side effects. Your healthcare professional may recommend medicines such as:.
