Let’s start by getting one thing straight: on the most basic, primal level, the vast majority of us should want to have sex. For one thing, it’s hella fun, and for another thing, it – and the orgasms that go with a good dose of sex – also have many health benefits – from improving brain function and heart health to lifting your mood.
If you’re suffering from low libido, know that while it is common, it’s not ‘normal’. Many experts agree that a healthy sex drive can be a good indicator of overall health and vitality. Of course, there is a whole range of physical and emotional reasons why this can be the case: security, lack of connection, trauma and so on.
However, in many cases, a big piece of the low sex drive puzzle is hormone related.
When your hormones aren’t coming to the party, it’s easy to slip into patterns of selfdoubt, blame, and feeling disconnected from your partner. If you’re struggling to remember the last time you felt sexy or turned on, know that you’re not broken and you’re not alone. There is a root cause and it can be restored, we just need to figure out what’s going on.
Here are 5 possible hormonal reasons why your sex drive may have gone on vacay.
1. Your cortisol is too high or too low
This kind of goes without saying, but nothing kills your libido like stress.
Most of us have probably been able to track either our own or our partner’s, sudden lack of interest in intimacy and affection down to stress in one form or another.
It’s normal not to feel like being intimate after a stressful day but if that day turns into weeks or months, it’s a clear sign from your body that things may be leaning out of balance.
Stress hormone dysfunction is at the root of many sex hormone imbalances as well. One of the first signs of out-of-whack cortisol can be a lack of desire or interest in sex.
Why? Because cortisol is a survival hormone. Not a sex hormone.
When your stress response system is in full swing, sex (and reproduction) takes a backseat to survival, meaning stress hormone production will always take priority over sex hormones. This is simply our basic primal physiology.
Other signs of cortisol dysfunction that may be accompanying a lack of libido (for men and women) can include:
- Anxiety, or low moods;
- Insomnia or light, poor quality sleep;
- Feelings of overwhelm;
- Feeling burnt out and tired, even after a good night’s sleep;
- Salt or sugar cravings;
- Weight gain, particularly around the tummy and/or love handles.
2. Your oestrogen is low
Oestrogen is the primary female sex hormone that supports healthy mood, sleep, skin, bone health, insulin sensitivity, metabolism and yes, libido. It’s also the hormone responsible for our beautiful feminine curves.
As the name suggests, sex hormones help to regulate sexual desire and function. Therefore it goes without saying that when imbalanced, your sexual desire and function will reflect this.
The most common causes of low are overexercising, low levels of body fat, or having recently come off hormonal birth control.
Other signs of low oestrogen that may be accompanying your low sex drive include:
- Absent or irregular periods;
- Hot flashes and night sweats;
- Insomnia;
- Low libido and/or vaginal dryness;
- Dry skin;
- Moodiness and irritability;
- Hormonal headaches or migraines.
3. Your testosterone is low
For men, testosterone is the Number 1 sex hormone. Women have it too, just in smaller amounts.
Testosterone supports muscle growth, bone health, energy production, general motivation and is closely linked to sex drive in both genders.
In women, testosterone (and oestrogen) peaks around ovulation, making this the time of your cycle you most likely feel frisky. Ovulation is also the time you are fertile: a not-so-subtle nudge from mother nature to do the dirty and make some babies.
Paired with low sex drive, other signs of low testosterone in women include:
- Feeling a little ‘soft’ around the edges, or struggling to build muscle despite regular weight training;
- Dry hair and skin;
- Vaginal dryness & painful sex;
- Low confidence or lacking a zest for life;
- Low energy.
And in men:
- Erectile dysfunction, or finding it hard to stay aroused;
- Infertility;
- Hair loss;
- Decreased muscle mass;
- Increased body fat.
4. Your progesterone is low
Ahhh progesterone; the calming and soothing hormone that helps us feel balanced and relaxed.
When progesterone is low in relation to oestrogen, you have what’s called an oestrogen dominant hormone picture, which can look a lot like:
- Mood swings, anxiety & PMS;
- Bloating & water retention;
- Heavy periods;
- Weight gain;
- Low libido.
We probably don’t need to tell you that feeling anxious, bloated and on the verge of a melt-down often looks a lot more like track pants than lingerie.
This can be the result of:
- Higher than optimal estrogen – either you’re making too much or having trouble detoxifying and clearing what’s no longer needed.
- Lower than optimal progesterone – often the result of anovulation (not ovulating) or having poor quality corpus luteum
- A combination of both.
5. Your meds are killing your vibe
Certain medications are known to have side effects that can include ‘decreased sexual function and/or desire.’
The most common of which include:
It seems an ironic possible side effect of hormonal contraception. You start taking it because you want to have sex without getting pregnant but suddenly find you no longer have any interest in sex.
It’s more common than you might think. The hormonal contraceptive pill increases levels of SHBG or sex hormone binding globulin – a protein made by the liver that sucks up your sexy libido-boosting testosterone. This is also why the pill can help with the symptoms of higher testosterone such as acne. You win some, you lose some.
Please know, we’re not advising anyone to stop taking medication prescribed by their doctor. We know that knowledge is power, and without knowing the possible side effects of medication, it’s easy to blame yourself for the sudden slip in libido that occured around the same time you started taking it.
Medication is a personal choice but it should always be an informed one. If something’s not working for you, it may be worth chatting to your doctor about any side effects you are experiencing.
What can you do?
If one or more of the signs and symptoms mentioned here resonates with you, you may want to start investigating your hormone health.
Testing is a really effective way of gaining insight into what’s going on inside your unique body and eliminating the guesswork. When you know exactly what’s really going on inside, you are better informed and empowered to seek the advice you need and make necessary diet, lifestyle and nutritional changes to get you to where you want to be.
At Eve Health, we created the Eve Hormone Balance Test and the Eve Stress & Adrenal Test, to make it simple to find out exactly what’s going on in your body, and what you can do to bring things into balance.
Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only. It is not designed to diagnose, treat or cure. We are all unique. For your individual health concerns, it is important to discuss these with a relevant health professional.