My Sex Drive Has Declined: Is It Because of Low Testosterone or Something Else?

We talk about different facets of our wellness in terms of health — mental health, heart health, hormone health, and so on. Sexual health should be part of this list, as it can be an important piece to your overall wellness puzzle. 

If you’ve always enjoyed an active sex life, but you’re finding that your libido has been waning recently, you’re doing the right thing — trying to figure out why your sex life isn’t what it used to be.

Because we’re a practice that focuses on men’s health, patients seek help from Dr. Robert J. Cornell for lower-than-normal sex drives. In our considerable experience, a low sex drive often comes down to the issues we outline below.

Low testosterone and your libido

We often joke about male teenagers being sexually charged and this is because testosterone hormones are flooding their systems as they pass through puberty and toward adulthood. 

While levels of testosterone are highest after puberty, they should remain at sufficient levels throughout your life, unless you develop a testosterone deficiency, which is also called “low T.” This issue affects from 10% to 40% of adult males in the United States and can potentially stem from any number of problems, such as obesity, environmental toxins, lack of exercise, aging, hypogonadism, and trauma. 

One of the most common side effects of low T is loss of sexual desire.

Aging and your sex drive

It’s no coincidence that older men have more issues with low sex drive than younger men. First, testosterone levels naturally decline with age, which as we saw above, can affect your libido.

As well, there are other issues that develop in lockstep with aging, such as:

• Body aches
• Fatigue
• Health problems
• Natural loss of interest

Enthusiasm for physical activities like sex can take a hit as you get older and your body just isn’t up for the rigors of sex anymore, which can curb your desire.

Mental and emotional health issues can affect your libido

Another common culprit behind loss of sex drive are mental or emotional health issues. For example, depression — which affects nearly 20% of men in the US at some point in their lives — can wreak havoc on your libido.

Or, high levels of stress can also cause you to lose interest in sex. And stress levels are at all-time highs these days, as nearly one-quarter of adults in the US say their stress levels are between 8 and 10, on a scale of 1 to 10.

Stress, depression, anxiety, relationship issues — these can all have a major impact on your libido and deserve a good look.

Certain medications can decrease your libido

During your evaluation for a decline in sex drive, we also take a look at what medications you’re taking. Certain medications and treatments can lead to a drop in libido, including antidepressants, blood pressure medications, painkillers, and chemotherapy.

As you can see, there are many potential issues that can cause your sex drive to plummet and, more often than not, it’s a combination of issues. The best way to get your sex life back on track is to come see us for an assessment.

To schedule your appointment with us today, please contact our office in Houston, Texas.