Sexual Health and Libido

“Sexual desire or sex drive is your level of interest
in sexual activity. It’s normal for your sexual desire
to go up and down at different times and for…”.1

Umbrella

What may the Sexual Health and Libido Umbrella include?

Depending on the Source (DotS) this Umbrella may include:

  • Decreased Libido
  • Decreased Sex/Sexual Desire/Drive/Interest
  • Female Sexual Arousal Disorder (FSAD)
  • Female Sexual Interest-Arousal Disorder (FSIAD) [HSDD + Female Sexual Arousal Disorders]
  • Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder/Dysfunction (HSDD)
  • Lack of Sexual Desire/Drive/Interest
  • Libido
  • Low Libido
  • Low Sex/Sexual Desire/Drive/Interest
  • Sex/Sexual Desire/Drive/Interest
  • Sexual Interest-Arousal Disorder

Libido

What is libido?

DotS the definition of libido may vary. In What Can Affect Your Sex Life? Sexual Desire (Libido) the (Australian) Jean Hailes for Women’s Health’s (JH) definition is:

“Sexual desire or sex drive is your level of interest in sexual activity. It’s normal for your sexual desire to go up and down at different times and for different reasons”.2

Cause

What may cause low libido in women?

In Low Sex Drive In Women: Symptoms & Causes – Causes the (United States) Mayo Clinic explain:

“Desire for sex is based on a complex mix of many things that affect intimacy. These factors include:

  • Physical and emotional well-being
  • Experiences
  • Beliefs
  • Lifestyle
  • Your current relationship

If you have challenges in any of these areas, it can affect your desire for sex”.3

In Sexual Difficulties In the Menopause the Australasian Menopause Society (AMS) explain:

“Hormones are rarely the only factor involved in desire-arousal problems and other factors need to be identified and addressed. These might include relationship issues, psychological factors, side effects of common medications, such as antidepressants, or health issues such as diabetes. Women often say that the physical changes that occur with ageing and/or menopause make them feel more self-conscious about their body, particularly in relation to sex. Other changes in a woman’s life, such as a partner’s midlife issues (including erectile dysfunction), teenagers in the house or leaving home, and parents dying or requiring care will affect sexual function”.4

Common or Not

How common is low libido?

The AMS note:

“Low libido is the most common sexual concern reported by women and is often inseparable from diminished capacity to become aroused”.5

Fluctuations

Can libido fluctuate?

In Low Sex Drive In Women: Symptoms & Causes – Overview the Mayo Clinic elaborate on:

“Women’s levels of sexual desire change over the years. It’s common for highs and lows to happen along with the start or end of a relationship. Or they can happen with major life changes such as pregnancy, menopause or illness. Some medicines used for conditions that affect mood also can cause low sex drive in women”.6

Menopause

Is there an association between menopause and libido?

In Low Sex Drive In Women: Symptoms & Causes – Causes: Hormone Changes the Mayo Clinic explain:

Libido“Changes in your hormone levels may alter your desire for sex. This can occur during:

  • Menopause. Estrogen levels drop during menopause. This can make you less interested in sex and cause vaginal dryness, leading to painful or uncomfortable sex. Many women still have satisfying sex during menopause and beyond. But some have a lagging libido during this hormone change”.7

Treatment

How may low libido be treated?

In Low Sex Drive In Women: Diagnosis & Treatment – Treatment the Mayo Clinic elaborate on:

“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”.8

Menopausal Hormone Therapy

Is menopausal hormone therapy used to treat low libido?

In Looking After Yourself During Menopause: Sex and Relationships – Managing Low Libido the JH note:

“If you are concerned about having low libido, it’s important to discuss this with your doctor. They might suggest different options to improve the way you feel about sex. For example, a trial of menopausal hormone therapy (MHT), or vaginal moisturisers, lubricants or oestrogen to improve vaginal dryness”.9

Testosterone

Is testosterone used to treat low libido?

In Low Sex Drive In Women: Diagnosis & Treatment – Treatment the Mayo Clinic elaborate on:

  • “Testosterone. This hormone plays a key role in female sexual function, even though testosterone level is much lower in women than in men. In the United States, testosterone isn’t approved by the FDA to treat sexual conditions in women. Still, sometimes it’s prescribed to help lift a lagging libido. Testosterone that is delivered to the blood through the skin may be helpful in women after menopause. At first, this treatment can be tried for up to six months. If it helps, it can be continued with close monitoring by a healthcare professional. The use of testosterone in women can cause acne, extra body hair, and mood or personality changes”.10

Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD)

What is Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD)?

DotS the definition of HSDD may vary. In Looking After Yourself During Menopause: Sex and Relationships – What Can Affect Your Sex Life? Testosterone Therapy the JH’s definition is:

Sexual Health and Libido“The area of wellbeing and libido is very complex, and research tells us these are likely to be influenced by psychological factors more than testosterone. But testosterone therapy may be a suitable treatment for postmenopausal women who feel distressed by their loss of sexual desire. This condition is known as hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD).

Testosterone therapy is only recommended for women diagnosed with HSDD. There is no evidence to support using testosterone in premenopausal women for low libido or any other condition such as low mood or depression”.11

BMS Statement on Testosterone, 26 July 2024

What does the BMS Statement on Testosterone, dated 26 July 2024, explain about the use of testosterone to treat low libido?

The BMS Statement on Testosterone explains:

“Whilst some women do benefit from the addition of testosterone, this is not the case for all women and in the interest of patient safety, it is important that women are advised within readily available clinical guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), British Menopause Society (BMS) and the International Menopause Society (IMS). These were developed to support patient safety, not to prevent women from accessing treatment.

The only current evidence-based factual indication for the addition of testosterone to standard HRT, is for persistent low libido in postmenopausal women, after all other contributory factors have been addressed. There is no evidence to support claims that testosterone will help with other symptoms associated with menopause or prevent bone loss or dementia.

Ongoing research may provide evidence for other indications for use of testosterone by women, and we all agree that more research is needed”.12

Testosterone Links

Where may I find Links related to testosterone?

Your Country may have Links similar to:

Testosterone Links

Health Care Provider

What if I have low libido?

If you have low libido, it may be in your best interest to choose to talk to your health care provider about this.

In Low Sex Drive In Women: Diagnosis & Treatment – Diagnosis the Mayo Clinic explain:

“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:

  • No desire to have any type of sexual activity or to masturbate
  • Few or no sexual thoughts or fantasies
  • Not wanting to make the first move in a sexual encounter with a partner
  • Less or no pleasure during sexual activity
  • Less or no interest in any sexual or erotic cues from a partner
  • Few or no physical sensations during sexual activity in most sexual encounters

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”.13

Health Topics A-Z

Where may I find Health Topics A-Z related to Sexual Health and Libido?

In Health Topics A-Z you may find:

Health Topics A-Z

Links

Where may I find Links related to Sexual Health and Libido?

Your Country may have Links similar to:

Links

This Links List to third party websites is neither comprehensive nor exhaustive. Inclusion on this Links List does not imply endorsement or recommendation. Non-inclusion on this Links List does not imply non-endorsement or non-recommendation. Third party websites are not under the control of Meno Martha International Menopause Directory. Third party websites may contain explicit medical images and/or sexual references. Please read Meno Martha International Menopause Directory’s Links Policy before proceeding to a Link. Please contact Webmaster if you experience a problem with a Link.

New or Updated

  1. Addressing Midlife Sexuality: From “Couplepause” to “Doublepause”
  2. Advancing Menopause Care In Australia: Barriers and Opportunities – The Role of Testosterone Treatment
  3. Askearlymenopause.org [Ask EM] [+ Video: What Is Early Menopause?]
  4. BMS Statement on Testosterone [26 July 2024]
  5. BMS TV: Menopause Explained
  6. BMS TV: Testosterone Explained
  7. Balance Between Excitement, Inhibition Key To Treat Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder
  8. Consumer Video and Podcast Series: 2023 Consumer Videos and Podcasts – Changes In Sexual Health After Cancer
  9. Consumer Video and Podcast Series: 2024 Consumer Videos and Podcasts – Preparing for Your Menopause Health Care Visit [13 January 2024]
  10. Don’t Believe the Hype. Menopausal Women Don’t All Need To Check – or Increase – Their Testosterone Levels
  11. Early Menopause: Women’s Experiences
  12. Expert Tips To Boost Your Libido
  13. FAQs: Intimate Partner Violence
  14. FAQs: When Sex Is Painful
  15. Find A Menopause Practitioner [United States and Other]
  16. Find An AMS Member [Australasian Menopause Society i.e. Australia and New Zealand]
  17. Find Your Nearest BMS Menopause Specialist [British Menopause Society]
  18. Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause
  19. Global Consensus Statement on the Use of Testosterone Therapy for Women
  20. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
  21. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): Vaginal Oestrogen: About Vaginal Oestrogen
  22. How To Talk To Your Doctor About Painful Sex
  23. Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder HSDD—Open the Door to Discussion
  24. International Society for Sexual Medicine: Public
  25. International Society for Sexual Medicine: Sexual Health Topics
  26. International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health
  27. International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health: Find A Provider
  28. Is There An Equivalent of Viagra for Women?
  29. Later Years (Around 50 Years and Over): Menopause and Post Menopause Health – Sexual Wellbeing, Intimacy and Menopause [+ Video: Menopause Is the End of Your Sex Life]
  30. Let’s Talk Low Libido
  31. Libido and Testosterone Therapy – Podcast
  32. Looking After Yourself During
  33. Looking After Yourself During Menopause: Managing & Treating Low Libido – Testosterone Therapy [+ Video: Professor Susan Davis]
  34. Low Libido? Ways for Women To Increase Their Sex Drive
  35. Low Sex Drive (Loss of Libido)
  36. Low Sex Drive In Women: Diagnosis & Treatment
  37. Low Sex Drive In Women: Symptoms & Causes
  38. Lubricant Alternatives: What To Use and What To Avoid
  39. Many Older Women Have Active Sex Lives, But Menopause Can Interfere
  40. Menopause
  41. Menopause
  42. Menopause and Natural Therapies: Low Libido (Sex Drive)
  43. Menopause Map: Downloadable Resources – My Personal Path Print Tools: Questions for Your Health Care Provider
  44. Menopause Patient Information [Videos] 2. Talking To Your GP About Menopause
  45. Menopause Ruining Your Sex Life?
  46. Menopause Symptoms: Mayo Clinic Expert Outlines Hormone and Nonhormonal Therapies
  47. Menopause Treatments: What Works, What Doesn’t
  48. Menopause What Are the Symptoms?
  49. Menopause: Identification and Management [NICE Guideline Published: 12 November 2015 Last Updated: 07 November 2024]
    Sexual Health and Libido
  50. Menopause: Understanding the Changes and Finding Relief | Dr Susan Davis | The Proof Podcast EP 256
  51. Mymenoplan.org [My Menoplan, United States]
  52. Natural Therapies
  53. Navigating Menopause Together: How Partners Can Help
  54. Navigating Menopause: Expert Insights and Solutions | Dr Susan Davis | The Proof Podcast EP 245
  55. Perimenopause and Menopause Symptom Checklist
  56. Prosayla Supported By ISSWSH [International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health]
  57. Relationships
  58. Relationships: Relationships & Libido
  59. Relationships: Relationships & Painful Sex
  60. Sex and Sexual Health
  61. Sex and Menopause: Treatment for Symptoms
  62. Sexual Difficulties In the Menopause: Testosterone
  63. Sexual Functioning In 4,418 Postmenopausal Women Participating In UKCTOCS: A Qualitative Free-Text Analysis [United Kingdom Collaborative Trial of Ovarian Cancer Screening]
  64. Sexual Health
  65. Sexual Health Conditions
  66. Sexuality: Management & Treatment of Sexual Problems
  67. Steps Your Partner Can Take
  68. Supporting A Loved One Through Menopause
  69. Symptoms of Low Testosterone In Women (and Reasons Why It Might Be Low)
  70. Testosterone Replacement In Menopause: 2. What Is Its Role In Women?
  71. Testosterone Therapy In Women: Does It Boost Sex Drive?
  72. Testosterone Therapy for Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD)
  73. Testosterone Use for Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder In Postmenopausal Women
  74. Testosterone for Women: Why Use Testosterone?
  75. The Menopause Society Statement on Misinformation Surrounding Hormone Therapy
    Sexual Health and Libido
  76. The Truth About Menopause Supplements | Dr Sarah Berry
  77. Tips To Help Manage Menopause Symptoms
  78. Urogenital Problems
  79. Using Natural Therapies In the Menopause Transition – Webinar
  80. Vaginal & Vulval Pain: Know the Different Causes and When To Seek Help
  81. Vaginal Dryness
  82. Vaginal Dryness
  83. Vaginal Dryness After Menopause: How To Treat It?
  84. Vaginal Dryness: What To Do About It
  85. Vaginal Oestrogen Is A Treatment on the Rise, But Is It Safe?
  86. Video & Podcast Library: Interviews – Videos: Testosterone and Women
  87. Video & Podcast Library: Videos – World Menopause Day 2024: Menopause and Hormone Therapy: Current Perspectives and Controversies
  88. Videos & Podcasts: Videos – Menopause and Hormone Therapy: Current Perspectives and Controversies
  89. Videos and Podcasts: Videos – Interviews: Is Testosterone the Answer To Low Libido?
  90. Webinars: Previous – Pay Attention on Your Way In! The Vulva Is An Important Organ Too
  91. “We’re Just Tired”: Influences on Sexual Activity Among Male-Partnered Women In Midlife; A Mixed Method Study
  92. What Can Affect Your Sex Life?
  93. What Is Vulvodynia?
  94. What Is the Difference Between Vagifem and Estring?
  95. What Types of Vaginal Oestrogens Are There?
  96. Which Vaginal Moisturiser Should You Use?
  97. Women’s Sexual Health: Talking About Your Sexual Needs
  98. World Menopause Day 2024: Leaflet for Women – Menopause and Menopause Hormone Therapy [Multiply Languages]
  99. Sexual Health and LibidoWorld Menopause Day 2024: Poster for Women – The 5 Ws of Menopause Hormone Therapy (MHT)

Sources

Where may I find the Sources quoted?

You may find the Sources quoted at:

Sources

  1. What Can Affect Your Sex Life? Sexual Desire (Libido). Last Updated: 18 December 2024 | Last Reviewed: 12 December 2023. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/sex-sexual-health/what-can-affect-your-sex-life#sexual-desire-libido Accessed: 16 February 2025
  2. What Can Affect Your Sex Life? Sexual Desire (Libido). Last Updated: 18 December 2024 | Last Reviewed: 12 December 2023. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/sex-sexual-health/what-can-affect-your-sex-life#sexual-desire-libido Accessed: 16 February 2025
  3. Low Sex Drive In Women: Symptoms & Causes – Causes. 07 March 2024. Mayo Clinic https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/low-sex-drive-in-women/symptoms-causes/syc-20374554 Accessed: 16 February 2025
  4. Sexual Difficulties In the Menopause. Content Created March 2021. Australasian Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org.au/hp/information-sheets/722-sexual-difficulties-in-the-menopause Accessed: 16 February 2025
  5. Sexual Difficulties In the Menopause. Content Created March 2021. Australasian Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org.au/hp/information-sheets/722-sexual-difficulties-in-the-menopause Accessed: 16 February 2025
  6. Low Sex Drive In Women: Symptoms & Causes – Overview. 07 March 2024. Mayo Clinic https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/low-sex-drive-in-women/symptoms-causes/syc-20374554 Accessed: 16 February 2025
  7. Low Sex Drive In Women: Symptoms & Causes – Causes: Hormone Changes. 07 March 2024. Mayo Clinic https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/low-sex-drive-in-women/symptoms-causes/syc-20374554 Accessed: 16 February 2025
  8. Low Sex Drive In Women: Diagnosis & Treatment – Treatment: Hormone Therapy. 07 March 2024. Mayo Clinic https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/low-sex-drive-in-women/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20374561 Accessed: 16 February 2025
  9. Looking After Yourself During Menopause: Sex and Relationships – Managing Low Libido. Last Updated: 20 September 2024 | Last Reviewed: 19 August 2022. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/menopause/looking-after-yourself#sex-and-relationships Accessed: 16 February 2025
  10. Low Sex Drive In Women: Diagnosis & Treatment – Treatment. 07 March 2024. Mayo Clinic https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/low-sex-drive-in-women/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20374561 Accessed: 16 February 2025
  11. Looking After Yourself During Menopause: Sex and Relationships – What Can Affect Your Sex Life? Testosterone Therapy. Last Updated: 20 September 2024 | Last Reviewed: 19 August 2022. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/menopause/looking-after-yourself#sex-and-relationships Accessed: 16 February 2025
  12. BMS Statement on Testosterone. 26 July 2024. British Menopause Society https://thebms.org.uk/2024/07/bms-statement-on-testosterone-2/ Accessed: 16 February 2025
  13. Low Sex Drive In Women: Diagnosis & Treatment – Diagnosis. 07 March 2024. Mayo Clinic https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/low-sex-drive-in-women/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20374561 Accessed: 16 February 2025
Topic Last Updated: 31 March 2025 – Topic Last Reviewed: 16 February 2025

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