Having the desire to have sex is normal. It’s also normal to not want it during some days. But if you feel that you have too low of a libido, it might be something called Inhibited Sexual Desire (ISD).
ISD, or also known as hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD), is defined as having low levels of sexual interest, where they usually don’t start nor respond to their partner’s sexual activity or desire. This also includes the lack of sexual fantasies and thoughts.
However, the desire always depends on the person, so couples who may experience it may just have different levels of sexual interest.
Causes
ISD is a common sexual disorder. Factors that cause this condition include:
- Physical conditions – Concurrent or underlying physical conditions such as diabetes, pregnancy, menopause, erectile dysfunction, heart diseases, and others.
- Imbalance of chemicals in the brain – The brain is a major factor that affects sexual desire, and having an imbalance in the neurotransmitters in there can cause this.
- Relationship issues – Whatever the relationship issue is, it can contribute to having an inhibited sexual desire. This includes marriage or divorce, lack of emotional connections, breach of trust (infidelity) or other conflicts.
- Psychological conditions – depression, anxiety, stress, and low self-esteem are some of the few psychological conditions that can cause ISD.
- Medications – Some medications have side effects that can cause the libido to be lower than normal.
Diagnosis
Symptoms of ISD or HSDD are usually overlooked as something normal. However, low sexual desire that causes distress either personally or in your relationship can be seen as ISD.
Your doctor or healthcare provider will have a few questions to ask in order to help diagnose ISD. In addition to that, they will look for the causes and recommend strategies that can help you.
They may also recommend you take tests like:
- Blood test for diabetes, high cholesterol, thyroid problems, and testosterone levels
- Pelvic exam to check the condition of the vagina
- Blood pressure test
- Test for heart disease
- Prostate gland exam
Treatment
There are a few recommendations for treating inhibited sexual desire. These include:
Counseling – Couples counseling and sex therapy can help HSDD. This will teach couples to have better communications that show affection, empathy, respect, and more. This will also teach them how to better manage their time to engage in sexual activities.
Hormone therapy – Hormones greatly influence libido, so hormone therapy can help, especially those who are diagnosed with low testosterone or estrogen.
Lifestyle changes – A simple change in your daily routine can greatly affect your sexual health. Doing things such as exercising together, communicating more, and setting more time doing sexual activities can help.
Sources:
https://www.healthline.com/health/inhibited-sexual-desire
https://ufhealth.org/inhibited-sexual-desire
