6 Surprising Things That Can Lower Your Libido.
According to a Urologist.
Urologist, surgeon, and sex educator Dr. Rena Malik just shared some of the most common factors that can lead a drop in libido in men in a new video on her YouTube channel, including a number of surprising causes.
“First and foremost, you want to look at the medications or drugs you might be taking,” she says, noting that SSRIs, anti-depressants, and hair loss treatments, as well as many recreational drugs and steroids, can have “significant effects” on sexual desire.
Secondly, she advises that existing or underlying medical conditions such as epilepsy, strokes, heart conditions, HIV, sleep apnea, can also have a negative impact on sex drive.
Malik also recommends looking into endocrine problems as a potential explanation. “Testosterone is the main hormone for sexual desire, and when you have a problem with your hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, it can affect the production of testosterone,” she explains. “You need to have a minimum level of testosterone in order to experience sexual desire, however it’s not a linear relationship. It doesn’t mean the more testosterone you have, the more desire you’ll have.”
Mental health issues are also a factor: depression, anxiety, PTSD, and several other psychiatric disorders have been found to have links to a reduced sex drive.
On a related note, another psychological consideration is your relationship. “If you are having relationship issues with your partner, it can be very difficult to feel desire for them,” says Malik.
If none of the causes listed above are applicable to your situation, Malik says there are other options available to help you figure out what is causing your decrease in libido.
Psychotherapy is one way to explore whether it is a psychological issue, while medications like Bupropion have also been found to improve sexual desire, although you should always seek the advice of your doctor first.
Six Causes of Low Libido That You Might Not Know About Yet!
Source: Men’s Health magazine.
