men & women
Low Libido / Low Desire
Low libido is a persistent drop in sexual desire, in men or women, with many possible causes ranging from hormones to medication to life circumstances, most of them addressable.
Symptoms
1
Little or no interest in sex where interest used to exist
2
Absence of sexual thoughts or fantasies
3
Distress or relationship strain related to the change
4
Sometimes paired with fatigue, low mood or other symptoms that point to a cause
Causes and how it spreads
Desire sits at the crossroads of biology and life, so the list of causes is long: low testosterone in men, hormonal shifts of perimenopause and after childbirth in women, thyroid problems, depression and, ironically, some antidepressants, certain contraceptives, painful sex, chronic illness, poor sleep, stress, and relationship dynamics. Usually more than one factor is in play.
How PVT tests for it
A PVT consult takes the story first, because the pattern narrows the cause quickly: when desire changed, whether anything else changed with it, and whether desire is low everywhere or only in one context. Hormone checks through an accredited pathology laboratory, a medication review and mood screening follow where they add information.
Treatment
Treatment follows the cause. That can mean treating a hormone deficiency, adjusting a libido-suppressing medication, treating pain or dryness that has made sex unappealing, hormone treatment in perimenopause, low-dose testosterone for selected women within guidelines, and psychosexual or couples support where the driver is relational. A tailored plan usually combines more than one of these.
When to see a doctor
Come in when the change has lasted months and bothers you or your relationship. Low desire is one of the most common issues in sexual medicine for both sexes, and a structured assessment almost always finds something workable.
Related service
Sexual Health Screening
Sexual health screening at PVT is confidential doctor-led testing for sexually transmitted infections, for men and women, with results and treatment handled privately.
Questions about
Low Libido / Low Desire
Is low libido normal?
Desire naturally rises and falls with stress, sleep, health and relationship season. What deserves assessment is a persistent change that bothers you. Roughly one in three women and one in five men report low desire at some point, so you are in wide company.
Could my medication be the cause?
Possibly. SSRIs and some other antidepressants, certain blood pressure medicines and some hormonal contraceptives are all recognised libido suppressors. Never stop a medication on your own; your doctor can usually adjust the dose, switch agents or add a counter-strategy.
Does low libido mean my relationship is in trouble?
Not by itself. Biology is often the driver, and fixing a hormonal or medication cause frequently restores things. Where the relationship is part of the picture, naming that honestly is useful too, and a psychosexual referral can help both partners rather than assigning blame.
Is testosterone useful for women's libido?
In selected cases, yes. International guidelines support a trial of low-dose testosterone for postmenopausal women with distressing low desire after other causes are addressed. It is prescribed carefully, at female-appropriate doses, with monitoring.