What’s Causing My Lack of Interest in Sex?
Your sex drive — or libido — naturally has highs and lows throughout your life, and the causes of these fluctuations are complex. Your age, emotional state, physical health, and relationship status all impact how interested you are in sex.
Dr. Christopher J. Riegel not only helps his patients pinpoint the root of their low libido, but also creates customized treatment plans that help bring back the desire for sex. Plus, we offer other services you may be interested in.
Multiple factors affect your desire for sex
Your sex drive involves a delicate balance of many factors, including medical, situational, and psychological influences. When they get out of whack, you could lose your interest in sex. These factors include:
- Relationship problems
- Excessive alcohol or recreational drug use
- Mental health issues, such as anxiety or depression
- Chronic stress and the inability to manage it effectively
- Problems or discomfort caused by chronic health conditions
- Trouble reaching orgasm
- Certain medications
- A history of sexual abuse or assault
How you feel about yourself also plays a significant role in whether you want to have sex with your partner. If you have low self-esteem, you’re likely going to want to distance yourself from intimacy, rather than embrace it.
The biggest culprit that causes low sex drive: Hormonal imbalance
Your amazing endocrine system oversees the production and release of hormones, which are the body’s chemical messengers. However, your sex hormones — estrogen, testosterone, and androgen for women, and testosterone for men — shift throughout our lives.
Did you know that the older you get, the more likely it is that your interest in being sexually active will pale in comparison to when you were between 20 and 30? This is because your hormone levels are half of what they were in your young adult years.
For women, the major transitions through menopause and the perimenopause phase that precedes it, can cause estrogen levels to plummet, along with the desire for sex.
Discomfort during sex due to vaginal dryness and vaginal tissue thinning makes sex painful too. Throw in sleep problems and discomfort from hot flashes, and a romantic evening is hard to come by.
Men must rely totally on testosterone, the only sex hormone they produce, for the robustness of their libidos. On average, men produce about 1% less testosterone with each successive year after they turn 30. They may also be diagnosed with low testosterone, which is when a man’s testes simply don’t produce enough testosterone. This would be devastating to your sex life.
Sexual performance tensions can also plague men suffering from a hormone imbalance, and these may lead to erectile dysfunction (ED).
Is there any way for my hormones to get back to normal?
Fortunately, yes. The Riegel Center offers innovative bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) for men and women, which addresses the problems that sex hormone deficits create.
And though there are many types of hormone therapy out there, the regimen we offer is uniquely superior because Dr. Riegel has created these hormones himself. They replicate their naturally made counterparts precisely.
How does hormone replacement therapy work?
When you meet with Dr. Riegel either virtually or in person, he raises your awareness about the diverse benefits of hormone replacement therapy and how it can affect your mood, energy, and sex drive for the better!
The first step is getting your blood drawn at the nearest LabCorp office. The results are forwarded to our office so Dr. Riegel can create a hormone formula that’s completely tailored to you. It’s made to return your hormone levels — and your interest in connecting sexually — to the levels from your early adulthood.
Dr. Reigel monitors you closely when you start receiving BHRT to further tweak your hormone treatment. This way he can ensure that you’re getting exactly the treatment you need. Aside from getting a blood test every six months, you’re good to go.
The chemical advantages in your customized treatment translate to more energy overall, but very importantly, increased interest in sex. We’ve had patients report enviable results, and there’s no substitution for connecting — or reconnecting — with your partner again.
Another incredibly innovative service Dr. Riegel has made available to his patients is hormone treatment via 21st century accessibility. If you meet with Dr. Riegel virtually, he can customize your hormone blend and send it to you through UPS, no matter what state you live in.
Don’t spend another day wondering why you’re missing the days when you were sexually satisfied. Call our Plano, Texas, office at 972-525-5959 to secure time with Dr. Riegel or request an appointment online.