What affects my sex drive?

Things that can affect us are feeling stressed, changes in our body, how we feel inside, our health, taking medicine, and how we get along with others.

When you feel stressed, your body makes something called cortisol. This can make you not want to have sex. If you feel stressed for a long time, you might feel very tired and not interested in sex.

Yes, changes in chemicals called hormones can change how much men and women want to have sex. Two important hormones are estrogen and testosterone.

Sometimes people feel sad or worried. This can make them not want to have sex. Medicine for sadness can also make people not want sex as much.

Being healthy helps you feel like having sex. If you are very overweight or have health problems like diabetes or heart trouble, you may not feel like having sex and it might be harder to enjoy it.

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Yes, some types of medicine can make you less interested in sex. This can happen with medicine for feeling sad (like antidepressants), for high blood pressure (like antihypertensives), and for not having babies (like birth control pills).

As people get older, their bodies change. This can change how much they want to have sex. Sometimes, because of health issues, people might feel different about sex. But, many people still enjoy sex as they get older.

Sometimes, people have less interest in being close with their partner. This can happen because they don't talk to each other, have arguments that aren't fixed, or feel apart from each other.

Try to talk and listen to each other. You can also ask someone else to help, like a counselor.

Yes, drinking too much alcohol, smoking, and not exercising can hurt your interest in sex.

Eating healthy foods can help you feel good and have more energy. It can also help you feel more interested in sex. Not eating well or missing important nutrients can make you less interested in sex.

Being pregnant can change how much you want to have sex. Some women feel like they want sex more. Others don't want it as much because of changes in their body and hormones.

Not sleeping well can make you feel very tired. This can make you not want to have sex. Getting enough rest can help you feel better and want to have sex.

Not feeling good about your body or having low self-esteem can make you not want sex. It can make you feel less sure of yourself and not relaxed during sex.

Things like feeling worried, past bad experiences, and wanting to do well can affect how much you want to have sex.

Some types of birth control can make people want to have sex less. This is because they change the hormones in the body.

Exercise is good for your body in many ways. It can make you feel more energetic and happy about how you look. It helps by making blood flow better in your body, giving you more energy, and making you feel good about yourself.

Here are some ways to feel better and increase your interest in being close with someone:

- Take care of yourself by eating well, getting enough sleep, and exercising.

- Talk openly with your partner about how you feel.

- Try to relax and find ways to handle stress.

- Talk to a doctor or nurse if you need more help.

Drinking a small amount of alcohol might make you feel more in the mood, but drinking too much can make you less interested and not perform well.

Your interest in sex, or sex drive, is personal. It is about you as a person, not about if you like boys, girls, or both. The things that can change how much you want sex are the same for everyone, no matter who you like.

Try talking to someone you trust if you’re confused.

It can also help to write down how you feel, or take deep breaths to relax.

Yes, there are ways to help. You might take medicine called hormone therapy, change your medication, or talk to someone in therapy to help with the causes. It's important to talk to a doctor to find out what is best for you.