What Changes Sex Drive in Women?

With increasing age and menopause, a woman’s sex drive fluctuates several times.

Changes in sex drive are not necessarily caused by physical illnesses, but numerous factors, such as pregnancy, breastfeeding, menopause, stress, depression and altered lifestyle may be responsible for the same.

Menopause

During a woman’s transition to menopausal stage, her female sex hormone levels .i.e. estrogen levels drop. Low hormonal level often leads to vaginal dryness that causes discomfort during sexual intercourse or vaginal pain. These factors reduce a woman’s interest in sexual endeavours. While many women continue to have a satisfying sex life during and after menopause, others lose their sex drive while going through the major hormonal change.

Pregnancy and Breastfeeding

A woman body’s goes through tumultuous hormonal changes during pregnancy that can result in low libido. Breastfeeding is another condition when a woman’s sex drive goes for a toss. Pregnancy and breastfeeding, at times, also affect a woman’s perception of her body. Besides, the added responsibilities post delivery may also be blamed for low sex drive in women.

Physical Causes

Various medical illnesses, physical changes and medications often lead to diminished libido in women. Some of the factors include:

• sexual problems— Vaginal pain, vaginal dryness or inability to have orgasm may possibly hamper one’s sex drive or desire.
• health issues— Numerous physical illnesses, such as arthritis, cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, coronary artery disease and neurological diseases may impact a woman’s libido.
• medications— prescribed medications for sexual problems or other health issues  kill a woman’s desire to involve in sexual activities. Antidepressants and anti-seizure medications are also notorious sex drive killers.
• surgery of genitals— genital tract surgery and breast surgery restricts one’s sexual desire due to post-treatment pain.
• fatigue— with innumerable personal and professional obligations, exhaustion is common to all. By the time a woman reaches the bed, she is energy-deprived, thereby causing low sex drive.

Relationship Issues

Emotional intimacy is essential for many women to get into the sexual act. Relationship problems, such as disharmony with the partner, lack of communication with the partner, misunderstandings, unresolved issues, infidelity, distrust, conflicts, ego clashes and poor sex life play a crucial role in lowering a woman’s sex drive/desire.

Psychological Causes

Psychological causes not only affect one’s mental well-being, but also affect one’s physical and emotional well-being and can result in low sex drive. Some psychological causes affecting a woman’s libido are:

• mental health problems, such as anxiety or depression
• stress, such as financial stress or work stress
• poor body image
• low self-esteem
• history of physical or sexual abuse.

To increase the libido in women,  there are number of therapies and medical treatments available, which women of all ages can easily resort to.

Read more articles on Sex and Relationship.

source: http://www.onlymyhealth.com

Posted in: Breastfeeding,Libido,Menopause,Pregnancy,Relationship Issues,Sexuality,Vagina