Mayo Clinic Staff | (TNS) Mayo Clinic News Network
It may feel uncomfortable to talk about low libido with your partner and your health care team. Unfortunately, it’s a common problem that affects adults everywhere, yet many people have never been asked about their sexual health by their health care teams.
Although it may be difficult to discuss, sexual health is important and factors that are causing low libido should be addressed. Many primary care, psychology and OB-GYN professionals are trained to care for and treat hypoactive sexual desire disorder, or HSDD. This is the persistent or recurrent deficiency or absence of sexual fantasies and desire for sexual activity. It’s often referred to as having a low libido and can cause significant distress and relationship problems.
There’s no magic pill for low libido. The desire for sex is based on a complex interaction of many things that affect intimacy, including physical and emotional well-being, experiences, beliefs, lifestyle and relationship status. A thorough evaluation of your symptoms and possible causes, along with an individualized treatment plan, may put you in the mood more often.
Here’s what you need to know about low libido.
Low libido in men
Some of the most common causes of low libido in men include:
— Physical issues: Increased weight, diabetes, high blood pressure, endocrine disorders and high cholesterol can affect the ability to maintain an erection or decrease sex drive. These conditions also can lead to low energy and low self-image which can cause a significant loss of libido. In many cases, this can be corrected through diet, exercise and medical management.
— Pornography: This is a big cause for many men. Pornography permeates many committed relationships and can change how men view sexuality. For some, it causes pseudo-low libido, which is when a person is still interested in sex but not in a healthy way. This often leads to unrealistic expectations of body image,…
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