Glossary On Lack of Sexual Desire

Lack of Sexual Sesire / Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD) / Inhibited Sexual Desire (ISD)

In this case, the woman’s desire for sexual activity / libido is abnormally low or absent altogether. Women who suffer from inhibited sexual desire may even have a deficiency or a complete absence of sexual fantasies and erotic thoughts.

Low sexual desire is a problem with as many as one third of all women. Research has shown that happy women have a better desire for sex as compared to those women who are unhappy.

Inhibited sexual desire or low sexual desire can be primary (where the women has never felt much sexual desire) or secondary (where the woman previously had normal sexual desire but it is absent now due to various reasons).

Some of the common causes of lack of sexual desire in women are:

• Physical causes such as fatigue, insomnia, poor general health, hormonal problems like thyroid disorders, anemia, etc.
• Psychological causes like depression, anxiety disorders, lack of communication, lack of affection, past traumatic sexual experiences, strict upbringing, negative attitudes toward sex
• Drugs and medications such as contraceptive pills, antidepressants (especially Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors), tranquilizers, etc.
• Lack of sexual desire is often associated with low testosterone levels.
• It sometimes happens that the woman has had painful intercourse recurrently in the past leading to a loss of interest in sex (since the act gets associated with 'pain' in the mind)