Sexual desire is complicated. There are many things that can lower a woman’s desire to have sex. These include her mental health state, her self-esteem, her hormone levels and even how well she is sleeping.
A woman’s libido rises and falls throughout her life. Changes in sexual desire may occur when a relationship begins or ends or due to hormonal changes such as those that occur during pregnancy and menopause.
The Top 4 Things That Lower Her Sex Drive
Here are the top four reasons why a woman may not be in the mood for sex:
1. She’s in pain.
Many studies have explored the relationship between sex and pain in women. In 2009, researchers at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas looked at women who suffer from dyspareunia — a condition that results in recurrent genital pain during intercourse and that’s estimated to affect 8 to 21 percent of women worldwide. The study found that women with dyspareunia have thoughts about pain that can be easily activated and they tend to be constantly on the lookout for pain during sex.
A 2014 study published in The Journal of Neuroscience found that female mice that are in pain are less motivated to have sex than female mice that are not in pain. The study also found that the same thing is not true for male mice, which were willing to copulate even when in pain. This could help explain why women with chronic pain often experience a decreased desire to have sex.
2. She’s on the pill.
According to a 2010 study, women who use the pill, patch or any other hormonal contraceptives are more likely to have a decreased sex drive than women who don’t use hormonal contraceptives. The researchers noted that their findings were preliminary and they would like to study the effects of different dosages of estrogen and synthetic progestins (two types of hormones commonly used in contraceptives) on female sexual function.
In 2013, European researchers went further and studied the link between sexual desire and the use of combined oral contraceptives (which contain both estrogen and synthetic progestins). They reviewed 36 studies and found that, among the hormonal contraceptive users, 85 percent reported an increase in libido or no change in libido when taking these contraceptives, while 15 percent reported a decrease in libido. The researchers also found that women who reported a decrease in libido were taking contraceptives containing a lower dose of estrogen hormones.
3. She has a headache.
It’s often the excuse given by women in relationships, but there may be some truth to it. A 2012 study revealed that women who get frequent headaches or migraines are more likely to have dysfunctional sex lives than women without these health issues. The study looked at 100 women being treated for headaches and found that 91 percent of the patients also suffered from sex-related problems. Among these problems was low sex drive. About 17 percent of the women surveyed said they weren’t interested in having sex, and another 20 percent of study participants said they not only had a low sex drive, but were also worried about their lack of desire.
4. She’s just no that into you (anymore)
Ouch. I know that sounds harsh, but it can be reversed. Every lasting, loving relationship needs to make romance and sex an important part of the relationship. When an individual has had sex with their partner over the course of many, many years, it takes creativity and openness to keep things fresh and exciting.
In fact a 2012 study revealed that women’s desire may fade as a relationship goes on. Researchers polled 170 heterosexual men and women who had been in relationships for between one and nine months. They found that although most participants reported feeling satisfied with their relationships and sex lives, women reported lower levels of desire related to the length of their relationships. For each additional month women were in a relationship with their partner, their sexual desire decreased. This finding did not hold true for men, whose sexual desire remained steady over time.
Natural supplements are typically blended herbal formulas with a number of natural ingredients that each address some aspect of the female sexual response cycle. For instance, some ingredients act on the circulatory system to increase blood flow to the genitals, while others directly enhance production and balance of hormones associated with sexual health. Other ingredients may be specifically chosen for their beneficial effects on the female reproductive system and ability to create overall relaxation or a sense of well being. Taken daily, these supplements are meant to increase sexual response time, boost libido, intensify sexual sensations and orgasm, and balance the hormonal system for proper reproductive functioning.
