What Is Libido (Sex Drive)?

Libido, also known as sex drive, refers to a person's desire for sexual activity. While libido varies from person to person, there is no concrete "norm" regarding libido.

In addition, a single person may crave sex more or less at different points in their life based on factors such as lifestyle, health, or hormone levels. Read on to learn more, including how to improve libido if it's low and how to reduce libido if it's high.

Libido vs Sexuality

While a person's libido is their sex drive, libido is just one aspect of sexuality. Sexuality includes not only your desires but also your sexual feelings, thoughts, and behaviors.

The term “sexuality” is often used to refer to sexual orientation, which describes the people you are attracted to. Behavior and identity are also part of a person's sexual orientation.

What's Considered Normal?

When it comes to libido, there’s no scientific norm. In fact, libido manifests differently from person to person.

It’s also normal for a person’s libido to fluctuate over time. For instance, there may be times when you may not be in the mood for sex, or you might be too busy to even think about it. Libido also plays a significant role in relationships since it contributes to sexual behavior and sexual satisfaction.

It's also common for one partner to have a higher libido than the other in relationships. This doesn't mean that either partner's libido is abnormal, but it can cause distress for some couples.

What Does Low Libido Mean?

Low libido is simply a decreased sex drive expressed by low interest in sex. You may want to consider why your libido is low and what (if anything) to do about it.

Symptoms of Low Libido

Symptoms of low libido—which can manifest as part of hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) when low libido is chronic—can include the following:

• Lack of sexual thoughts
• Little or no desire for sexual activity
• Distress caused by lack of sexual interest 

Causes of Low Libido

Low libido can have a number of causes. For example, many people experience a lower libido as they get older. Part of this may be due to a decline in hormones. Regardless of your age, a blood test can reveal whether or not your hormones are low—a common cause of low libido.

Other potential causes of low libido include:

• Anxiety or depression
• Body image issues
• Cultural or religious influence
• Drinking too much alcohol
• Hormonal contraception
• Medications such as antidepressants and birth control
• Pregnancy, childbirth, or menopause
• Relationship problems
• Sexual incompatibility with partner
• Sexual issues such as pain, anorgasmia, vaginal dryness, premature ejaculation, or erectile dysfunction
• Stress
• Trauma
• Underlying health conditions like hypothyroidism or diabetes
  

A healthcare provider—such as a gynecologist or urologist—can help pinpoint the cause of your low libido by taking your medical history, giving you a physical exam, and providing blood tests. The cause of your low libido will determine its treatment.

Treatment Options for Low Libido

By itself, low libido isn’t a problem unless it’s interfering with your quality of life. If that’s the case, then there are several treatments available, including:

• Sex therapy or relationship counseling
• Vaginal lubricants to alleviate dryness or pain
• Stress management
• Cognitive behavioral therapy
• Hormone therapy
• Switching medication if current medication is contributing to low libido
• Lifestyle changes such as exercise, mindfulness, yoga, and a healthier diet
• Eliminating unhealthy habits like smoking and excessive alcohol use
• Medications to treat sexual, emotional, or physical health issues that contribute to low libido

What Does High Libido Mean?

As with low libido, there’s no scientific standard for an overly high libido. You may still consider your libido overly high if it causes distress or interferes with your health, relationships, work, or social life.

Symptoms of High Libido

A few symptoms of an overly high libido include:

• Consistently seeking out high-risk sexual activities
• Difficulty controlling sexual urges
• Spending too much time seeking or engaging in sexual activity
• Using sex as a coping mechanism

Causes of High Libido

Several factors can contribute to an overly high libido, such as:

• Bipolar disorder
• Certain medicines or other drugs
• Sadness or stress
• Trauma

Spikes in libido can be situational. For example, an underlying health condition, such as one of the following, could explain a spike in libido: 

• Dementia
• Klüver-Bucy Syndrome
• Persistent genital arousal disorder
• Rabies

Visit a healthcare provider to pinpoint the cause of increased libido that interferes with your life. You'll also want to see a provider if you're concerned about a recent spike in libido that you can't explain. Either way, you can work with them to decide on a treatment plan.

Treatment Options for High Libido

Since an overly high libido has many potential causes, there are many possible treatments. For overly high libido caused by an underlying condition, treating that condition can help get your libido under control. You may find relief after reducing your dosage or weaning off a drug under the guidance of a healthcare provider if the drug has caused your high libido.

Residential treatment may be necessary if your libido puts other people in danger. The following may be helpful:

• Medication
• Support groups
• Therapy (e.g. cognitive behavioral therapy, sex therapy, couples therapy)
  

A Quick Review

Libido varies from person to person, so you shouldn't be concerned if yours differs from your friends or partners. There's nothing necessarily wrong with having a libido that's naturally on the lower or higher end of the spectrum.

For low or high libido that interferes with your quality of life or a drastic change in libido that you can't explain, see a healthcare provider. They can help get to the root of your libido changes and recommend an appropriate treatment, if necessary.