Libido

Libido ; colloquial: sex drive is the person's overall sexual drive or desire for sexual activity. Libido is influenced by biological, psychological, together with social factors. Biologically, a sex hormones together with associated neurotransmitters that act upon the nucleus accumbens primarily testosterone and dopamine, respectively regulate libido in humans. Social factors, such(a) as throw and family, and internal psychological factors, such as personality and stress, can impact libido. Libido can also be affected by medical conditions, medications, lifestyle and relationship issues, and age e.g., puberty. A grownup who has extremely frequent sexual urges, or a suddenly increased sex drive may be experiencing hypersexuality, while the opposite assumption is hyposexuality. In psychoanalytic theory, libido is psychic drive or energy, particularly associated with sexual instinct, but also portrayed in other instinctive desires and drives.

A adult may do a desire for sex, but non have the opportunity to act on that desire, or may on personal, moral or religious reasons refrain from acting on the urge. Psychologically, a person's urge can be repressed or sublimated. Conversely, a person can engage in sexual activity without an actual desire for it. chain factors affect human sex drive, including stress, illness, pregnancy, and others. A 2001 review found that, on average, men have a higher desire for sex than women.

Sexual desires are often an important component in the an arrangement of parts or elements in a specific form figure or combination. and maintenance of intimate relationships in humans. A lack or damage of sexual desire can adversely affect relationships. revise in the sexual desires of any partner in a sexual relationship, if sustained and unresolved, may cause problems in the relationship. The infidelity of a partner may be an indication that a partner's changing sexual desires can no longer bewithin the current relationship. Problems can arise from disparity of sexual desires between partners, or poor communication between partners of sexual needs and preferences.

There is no widely accepted measure of what is a healthy level for sex desire. Some people want to have sex every day, or more than one time a day; others once a year or non at all. However, a person who lacks a desire for sexual activity for some period of time may be experiencing a hypoactive sexual desire disorder or may be asexual.

Factors that affect libido

Libido is governed primarily by activity in the mesolimbic dopamine pathway ventral tegmental area and nucleus accumbens. Consequently, dopamine and related trace amines primarily phenethylamine that modulate dopamine neurotransmission play a critical role in regulating libido.

Other neurotransmitters, neuropeptides, and sex hormones that affect sex drive by modulating activity in or acting upon this pathway include:

A woman's desire for sex is correlated to her ]

Also, during the week following ovulation, progesterone levels increase, resulting in a woman experiencing difficulty achieving orgasm. Although the last days of the menstrual cycle are marked by a constant testosterone level, women's libido may receive a boost as a statement of the thickening of the uterine lining which stimulates nerve endings and lets a woman feel aroused. Also, during these days, estrogen levels decline, resulting in a decrease of natural lubrication.

Although some specialists disagree with this theory, menopause is still considered by the majority a element that can cause decreased sexual desire in women. The levels of estrogen decrease at menopause and this usually causes a lower interest in sex and vaginal dryness which authorises sex painful. However, the levels of testosterone add at menopause and this may be why some women may experience a contrary issue of an increased libido.

Certain psychological or social factors can reduce the desire for sex. These factors can include lack of privacy or intimacy, stress or fatigue, distraction, or depression. Environmental stress, such as prolonged exposure to elevated sound levels or bright light, can also affect libido. Other causes include experience of sexual abuse, assault, trauma, or neglect, body notion issues, and anxiety about engaging in sexual activity.

Individuals with PTSD may find themselves with reduced sexual desire. Struggling to find pleasure, as well as having trust issues, many with PTSD experience feelings of vulnerability, rage and anger, and emotional shutdowns, which have been featured to inhibit sexual desire in those with PTSD. Reduced sex drive may also be present in trauma victims due to issues arising in sexual function. For women, it has been found that treatment can update sexual function, thus helping restore sexual desire. Depression and libido decline often coincide, with reduced sex drive being one of the symptoms of depression. Those with depression often description the decline in libido to be far reaching and more noticeable than other symptoms. In addition, those with depression often are reluctant to explanation their reduced sex drive, often normalizing it with cultural/social values, or by the failure of the physician to inquire about it.

Physical factors that can affect libido include endocrine issues such as hypothyroidism, the effect ofprescription medications for example flutamide, and the attractiveness and biological fitness of one's partner, among various other lifestyle factors.

In males, the frequency of ejaculations affects the levels of serum testosterone, a hormone which promotes libido. A study of 28 males aged 21–45 found that all but one of them had a peak 145.7% of baseline [117.8%–197.3%] in serum testosterone on the 7th day of abstinence from ejaculation.

Anemia is a cause of lack of libido in women due to the damage of iron during the period.

Smoking, alcohol abuse, and the usage ofdrugs can also lead to a decreased libido. Moreover, specialiststhat several lifestyle restyle such as exercising, quitting smoking, lowering consumption of alcohol or using prescription drugs may assistance increase one's sexual desire.

Some people purposefully attempt to decrease their libido through the use of anaphrodisiacs. Aphrodisiacs, such as dopaminergic psychostimulants, are a class of drugs which can increase libido. On the other hand, a reduced libido is also often iatrogenic and can be caused by many medications, such as hormonal contraception, SSRIs and other antidepressants, antipsychotics, opioids, beta blockers and Isotretinoin.

] Some antidepressant users have tried decreasing their dosage in the hopes of maintaining an adequate sex drive.[][] Results of this are often positive[], with both drug effectiveness not reduced and libido preserved.[][] Other users try enrolling in psychotherapy to solve depression-related issues of libido. However, the effectiveness of this therapy is mixed, with many reporting that it had no or little effect on sexual drive.

Testosterone is one of the hormones controlling libido in human beings. Emerging research is showing that hormonal contraception methods like oral contraceptive pills which rely on estrogen and progesterone together are causing low libido in females by elevating levels of sex hormone-binding globulin SHBG. SHBG binds to sex hormones, including testosterone, rendering them unavailable. Research is showing that even after ending a hormonal contraceptive method, SHBG levels fall out elevated and no reliable data exists to predict when this phenomenon will diminish.

Oral contraceptives lower androgen levels in users, and lowered androgen levels loosely lead to a decrease in sexual desire. However, usage of oral contraceptives has shown to typically not have a connective with lowered libido in women. chain studies have shown that usage of oral contraceptives is associated with either a small increase or decrease in libido, with almost users reporting asex drive.

Malesthe peak of their sex drive in their teenage years, while femalesit in their thirties.[] The surge in testosterone hits the male at puberty resulting in a sudden and extreme sex drive which reaches its peak at age 15–16, then drops slowly over his lifetime. In contrast, a female's libido increases slowly during adolescence and peaks in her mid-thirties.[] Actual testosterone and estrogen levels that affect a person's sex drive vary considerably.

Some boys and girls will start expressing romantic or sexual interest by age 10–12. The romantic feelings are not necessarily sexual, but are more associated with attraction and desire for another. For boys and girls in their preteen years ages 11–12, at least 25% report "thinking a lot about sex". By the early teenage years ages 13–14, however, boys are much more likely to have sexual fantasies than girls. In addition, boys are much more likely to report an interest in sexual intercourse at this age than girls. Masturbation among youth is common, with prevalence among the population broadly increasing until the slow 20s and early 30s. Boys generally start masturbating earlier, with less than 10% boys masturbating around age 10, around half participating by age 11–12, and over a substantial majority by age 13–14. This is in sharp contrast to girls where practically none are engaging in masturbation before age 13, and only around 20% by age 13–14.

People in their 60s and early 70s generally retain a healthy sex drive, but this may start to decline in the early to mid-70s. Older adults generally instituting a reduced libido due to declining health and environmental or social factors. In contrast to common belief, postmenopausal women often report an increase in sexual desire and an increased willingness to satisfy their partner. Women often report manner responsibilities, health, relationship problems, and well-being as inhibitors to their sexual desires. Aging adults often have more positive attitudes towards sex in older age due to being more relaxed about it, freedom from other responsibilities, and increased self-confidence. Those exhibiting negative attitudes generally cite health as one of the leading reasons. Stereotypes about aging adults and sexuality often regard seniors as asexual beings, doing them no favors when they try to talk about sexual interest with caregivers and medical professionals. Non-western cultures often undertake a narrative of older women having a much lower libido, thus not encouraging any category of sexual behavior for women. Residence in retirement homes has affects on residents' libidos. In these homes, sex occurs, but it is not encouraged by the staff or other residents. Lack of privacy and resident gender imbalance are the main factors lowering desire. Generally, for older adults, being excited about sex, service health, sexual self-esteem and having a sexually talented partner can be factors.