Libido, also called sex drive, is a person’s desire to have sex. Libido varies a great deal throughout an individual’s life and also from person to person.

There is no “normal” amount of libido. One individual might want to have sex every day, while another person might want to have it no more than once a year, or not at all. There’s nothing abnormal about either of those levels of libido.

Libido can be affected by a huge range of factors: age, health, relationship status, previous sexual experiences, social factors, hormone levels, medications, and more. Often couples have a high desire for sex in the early stages of a relationship, which then lessens over time. That’s completely normal.

Low libido isn’t necessarily concerning, but it can be a problem if it causes stress in a relationship or is disturbing to an individual.

Some causes of lowered sex drive are common to both men and women, while others are gender-specific.

Causes of low libido in both women and men can include:

• Physical health conditions, including anemia, kidney disease, hypothyroidism, cancer treatment, high blood pressure, arthritis, and obstructive sleep apnea
• Mental health conditions and issues, such as depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, or having been sexually abused
• Medications, including hormonal contraceptives and some antidepressants
• Recreational drug use
• Excessive drinking of alcohol
• Relationship issues, such as conflict, lack of trust, poor communication, and overfamiliarity in a long-term relationship
• Fatigue (tiredness), anxiety, and stress

Low sex drive in women may be caused by:

• Menopause, which causes lower levels of estrogen and testosterone as well as thinning and drying of the vaginal tissues
• Painful sex, which may be caused by changes to the vagina during menopause, or infections, such as thrush or urinary tract infections (UTIs)
• Pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and the hormonal changes that accompany them
• Problems achieving orgasm

Lessened sex drive in men can be caused by:

• Lowered testosterone levels, which occur naturally as men age, may be related to decreased libido. Low testosterone can also be caused by use of anabolic steroids and trauma to the testicles.
• Decreased estradiol levels, whichare also associated with low libido in men (although estradiol is thought of as a “female” hormone)
• Erectile dysfunction (ED), also called impotence,in which a man can’t achieve an erection
• Problems with ejaculation, such as ejaculating prematurely or being unable to achieve orgasm

If loss of sexual desire is causing you problems in your life or your relationship, and there’s no apparent reason for it, you might want to consult with a healthcare provider.

The healthcare provider will take your medical history, perform a physical exam, and may carry out blood tests.

The treatment of low sex drive depends on the cause of the condition. Possible treatments include:

• Changing medications, such as switching antidepressants
• Hormone therapy
• Couples counseling
• Talk therapy or sex therapy
• Getting enough sleep
• Stress management
• Treatment of underlying conditions, such as diabetes
• Increasing amount of exercise for better aerobic fitness
• Changing to a more nutritious diet
• Drinking less alcohol or abstaining altogether
• Avoiding using recreational drugs

Sometimes, communication with your partner and simple lifestyle changes may be all that are needed. For instance, the most common reason that people report for loss of desire is fatigue. In this case, it may be that changing the time that you usually have sex, getting more sleep, and learning to better handle stress could be all that’s needed to increase your sex drive.

But sometimes low libido has more complicated causes. If you need help boosting your sex drive, don’t hesitate to talk frankly with your healthcare provider. Low libido is a common problem, and it’s nothing to be ashamed of.