Reigniting That Missing Spark

After dinner, the mood is set—candles, romantic music, the works. But maybe, for a reason you can't explain, you're just not feeling it. If that describes you, you're not alone.

Hypoactive sexual desire disorder, or when a person has an extremely low sex drive, affects 30% of women and 15% of men. It can be incredibly difficult, but low sex drive in women is an extremely common issue that various physical and emotional factors can cause.

Six of those conditions include:

Chronic Conditions. Conditions such as endometriosis, PCOS, thyroid issues and fibromyalgia can all affect libido. In one study, almost 60% of female participants with PCOS felt little-to-no sexual desire.

Hormonal Changes. It's common for women to experience dips in libido when their hormones are out of balance. This can occur during menopause, pregnancy, or after childbirth when estrogen levels drop.

Medications. Certain medications, such as antidepressants, birth control pills, opioids, cancer treatments and medications for heartburn, GERD, high blood pressure, heart failure and hypertension, can affect your libido.

Poor Sleep Habits. Sleeping 7 to 8 hours of quality sleep is essential for maintaining energy levels and healthy libido.

Relationship or Self-Esteem Issues. Feeling disconnected from your partner can affect your libido. In addition, if you struggle with body image issues, it can be difficult to feel motivated to engage in sexual activity.

Stress and Anxiety. High stress or anxiety levels can take a toll on your libido, as the body's natural response to stress is to release cortisol, which can interfere with libido.

However, that "spark" doesn't have to be lost forever. Depending upon the reason for your low libido, there are treatments available.

For example, if the cause of low sex drive is related to hormonal changes, treatment could include antidepressants and hormonal therapy. Similarly, if stress, depression or anxiety are the cause, cognitive behavioral therapy could be beneficial. And while some choose to attend therapy sessions alone, others benefit from couple's therapy to uncover why there may be a lack of intimacy or difficulty communicating.

Several recent studies have found that kisspeptin therapy may effectively boost low sex drive in both men and women. Kisspeptin is a naturally occurring hormone in the brain that helps stimulate reproductive hormones. In one study, the women taking kisspeptin therapy experienced an improvement in their libido after just two weeks of treatment. While further studies are needed to understand the long-term effects of its use, these findings offer hope for those looking to increase their sex drive.

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