Is your sweetie just not doing it for you anymore? Has your libido gone south? Loss of sex drive stems from a variety of causes. A University of Chicago National Health and Social Life Survey uncovered the ten top reasons for a low libido.
Stress and fatigue
Perhaps the leading killer of sexual desire is stress and fatigue. Stress from your job, finances, family, marriage, and other issues can suck out your sexual energy. Lack of sleep also saps the libido.
Illness
It is hard to feel sexy when the flu or common cold has your nose is running and your body aching. More serious illnesses such as hypothyroidism, diabetes, cancer, heart and lung disorders may also cause your sex drive to drop.
Medication
Many prescription and over-the-counter drugs can decrease your sexual appetite. Antidepressants have been well documented as libido killers. Medication for hypertension, psychotropic drugs, sedatives, opiates and even birth control pills have been know to lessen interest in sex or make reaching orgasm difficult.
Lifestyle
Are you a newlywed, recently divorced or started a new job? Lifestyle changes are another form of stress and may lead you to be mentally and physically out of sorts. Even positive changes can adversely affect your sex life.
Aging
When women go through menopause, they may lose interest in sex. This can be due to vaginal dryness or decreasing levels of estrogen and progesterone.
Relationship blues
Temporary disinterest in your partner is normal. But if it lasts for extended periods of time, it could be relationship issues. Tension and unhappiness in your relationship, will eventually show up in your sex life.
Body image
Loving your body is key to having a strong sense of sexuality. Unhappiness with your physical self, can lead to a slow down in sexual activity.
Depression
Depression and sex often do not mix. Everyone experiences a bad day or two, but if those weeks turn into months, your depressed state will put your sexual interest on hold.
New baby
Lactation and postpartum depression can contribute to a low libido. Breastfeeding may lead to vaginal discomfort and a decrease in estrogen levels.
Drugs and alcohol
Excessive use of drugs and/or alcohol may increase the number of your sexual encounters, but your sex drive pay the price in the long run. Your drop in libido may correlate with an increase in alcohol or drug consumption.
Stacy Lloyd is a writer and video producer in Phoenix, Arizona. A former television news journalist, she covered stories across the world. Currently, she produces corporate and non-profit videos and broadcast programming.