What is libido and how does it relate to sex drive?

Libido is used to describe your sexual desire for or fantasies about sexual activities. Physical health, mental health, hormone balance, stress, and relationship satisfaction all affect libido.

If you have concerns about your sexual drive or sexual function, you are not alone. Your sexual interest will change throughout your life. If you think your libido has dropped too low or grown a little too active, it may be time to contact your healthcare provider.

There is no exact level for a healthy sex drive. It’s normal for libido to be different for every person, and it’s nothing to worry about if yours is higher or lower than your partner’s unless that is causing stress for you.

Your libido is an essential part of your health and well-being. An active sex life benefits your physical health, mental health, and quality of life (Brody, 2010; Mollaioli, 2021).

Every person has their own normal, healthy libido level. Your libido can fluctuate for many reasons, and we’ll discuss them below.

A low sex drive is a decreased interest from your regular sex drive. You can expect your libido to change throughout your life. But if it’s been low for a while or is causing strain with your sexual partner, it’s time to examine what might be going on and what you can do to address the issue. Lifestyle changes, health conditions, hormone changes, and physical changes can all be responsible for low sexual desire. Let’s look at some common causes. 

Medical conditions

Many medical conditions can lead to changes in your sexual desire:

• Heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes affect the health of your blood vessels and decrease the blood flow to your genitals, lowering your sexual function (Merghati-Khoei, 2016).

• Prostate cancer reduces sexual desire, and treatment for prostate cancer can affect testosterone levels and increase erectile dysfunction (Hyun, 2012).

• Hypogonadism is a condition that impacts a man’s ability to produce enough testosterone, and low testosterone levels can lead to erectile dysfunction (Rastrelli, 2018).

• Thyroid disease (hypo- and hyperthyroidism) affects libido in both men and women. Both erectile function and ejaculation can also be affected by thyroid disease (Gabrielson, 2019).

• Medications, such as antidepressants, high blood pressure medications, and diuretics, can lower sex drive and function (Merghati-Khoei, 2016; Thakurdesai, 2018).

Hormonal changes

In both men and women, hormone fluctuations can have an impact on libido. 

• Menopause is when menstrual cycles permanently stop, and estrogen levels drop. After menopause, many women experience low sex drive, vaginal dryness, and increased pain during sex (Scavello, 2019).

• Men’s testosterone levels naturally start to decrease as they age, starting at around 30. Declining testosterone hormone levels negatively impact your libido and sexual function (Spitzer, 2013).

Mental health

Sexual desire (or lack thereof) is closely linked with a person’s mental and emotional state. 

• Anxiety and depression commonly cause changes in sexual function and libido (Thakuresai, 2018).

• High stress levels are associated with decreased sexual interest, especially in women (Raisanen, 2018).

• Hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) is a condition affecting women that causes loss of sexual fantasies and desire (Parish, 2016).

Lifestyle factors

Countless lifestyle factors can impact libido. 

• A sedentary lifestyle and obesity can impact body image and lower libido (Esfahani, 2018).

• Alcohol and drug use decreases sexual desire and satisfaction (Vallejo-Medina, 2012).

• Relationship satisfaction plays a role in sexual desire and satisfaction (Vowels, 2020).

Sometimes it can be difficult to figure out what is lowering your sex drive. Asking for help from professionals can make it easier to identify the cause of your low libido and create a plan to increase it.

If a health condition is causing your low sex drive, your healthcare provider may need to change your medication or run some tests to get answers.

If a low testosterone level causes your low sex drive and erectile function, your doctor may recommend testosterone replacement therapy. Testosterone therapy has been shown to help with men’s sexual desire and sexual health if their testosterone levels are below normal (Rastrelli, 2018).

You can also give your sex drive a boost by making lifestyle changes and building a deeper connection with your partner.

A libido that’s too high is less common than a low sex drive, but it can happen.

Your sex drive is considered too high if it starts to get in the way of other areas of your life. Compulsive or out-of-control behaviors can add stress to your relationships and cause problems in your work life.

Here are some signs of an excessively high sex drive (Derbyshire, 2015):

• You’ve attempted to limit or stop sexual activities but feel out of control.

• Your sex life is negatively impacting other areas such as your health, relationships, work, etc.

• You feel dependent or reliant on sexual activities.

• You use sex to escape from problems or emotions such as anger, stress, depression, loneliness, or anxiety.

• You feel little to no satisfaction from sex.

• Your sexual behavior is interfering with establishing stable intimate relationships.

Causes of high sex drive

Overly high sex drive or compulsive sexual behavior is still poorly understood. Potential causes of an increased sexual desire include (Derbyshire, 2015):

• Some medical conditions, especially diseases affecting the brain, such as Alzheimer’s dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and Kleine-Levin syndrome, can increase libido.

• Some medications, such as dopamine antagonists used for Parkinson’s disease or gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) used to treat narcolepsy, can increase your sexual desire.

• Drug use, such as cocaine or methamphetamines (meth), could increase sex drive.

Treating high libido

If your high sex drive negatively impacts your life, it might be time to talk with your healthcare provider. Working with a therapist and managing medication could help you address your unruly sex drive and establish healthy intimate relationships.

It can be embarrassing when your sex drive isn’t where you want it to be but know that you aren’t alone. Many people have challenges with their libido.

Whether your sex drive is higher or lower than you would like it to be, talk with your healthcare provider for advice and guidance to get your sex drive back to where you want it to be.  

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Every article on Health Guide goes through rigorous fact-checking by our team of medical reviewers. Our reviewers are trained medical professionals who ensure each article contains the most up-to-date information, and that medical details have been correctly interpreted by the writer.

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Current version

April 20, 2021

Written by

Ashley Braun, RD, MPH

Fact checked by

Steve Silvestro, MD

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About the medical reviewer

Steve Silvestro, MD, Ro

Dr. Steve Silvestro is a board-certified pediatrician and Associate Director, Clinical Content & Education at Ro.