Enhancing the libido

One study found that women who engaged in frequent physical activity had an up to 80% reduction in the chances of having low libido. Exercise helps you in a variety of ways: It has a positive impact on hormones and your nervous system that promote mental and physiological arousal, plus it’s a bonafide mood and body image booster, notes research.

Understanding Female Libido

By July 2023, eSITS plans on partnering and offering shared support and services to all of the major units within our college If you require assistance from the College of the Environment Team, please fill out the eSITS Help Request form. What can you do to increase libido? Low sex drive affects about 4 in 10 women, increasing in midlife and peaking after menopause. Many things factor into your sexual desire—fluctuating hormone levels, lifestyle habits, mood, underlying health conditions, relationship factors, and more—but there are many ways to improve the situation, especially if menopause-related issues are the root cause. While libido is complex, there are many things you can do to amp things back up.

Biological And Hormonal Influences

Learn how to increase sex drive, plus libido-boosting supplements for women, relationship help, and more. If you're reading this, you're likely wondering how to reignite your libido—or perhaps you’re simply curious about what might be getting in the way. Maybe you can remember a time when you craved intimacy, when the desire to connect physically felt natural and effortless. But now, rekindling that spark seems elusive, or frankly unappealing if you have symptoms that make it hard to get in the mood (ugh, vaginal dryness). Well, you’ve come to the right place for answers.

Try Over-the-Counter Solutions for Vaginal Dryness

If low libido has become part of your reality, you’re not alone. A staggering 38% of women in the U.S. report struggling with low sexual desire, according to a comprehensive study in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology. What's more, as you age, so does the likelihood of diminished libido—by the time women reach 65, three out of four report little to no desire. But here’s some good news: You can turn things around. (When you’re feeling yourself, you may also be more likely to say ‘yes’ to sex.) You know the feeling of having a high-stress day where you’re left frayed and frazzled? The last thing on your mind might be having sex with your partner.

• [St. John's Wort: For mild depression, may affect other meds.]
• [5-HTP: Serotonin precursor, mood effects may impact desire.]
• [Vitamin B Complex: For energy and nervous system function.]
• [Magnesium: Mineral for muscle relaxation and stress reduction.]
• [Probiotics: Gut health linked to overall well-being and mood.]

Research shows that higher amounts of daily stress is linked to lower sexual activity—and lower relationship satisfaction, too.

Product	Dosage	Quantity + Bonus	Price
Levitra Professional	20mg	10 Pills	62.37€ 59.40€	Buy
Cialis Generic	5mg	30 + 4 Pills	53.56€ 51.01€	Buy
Viagra Super Active	100mg	20 + 4 Pills	48.05€ 45.76€	Buy
Kamagra Gold	100 mg	32 Pills	121.24€ 115.47€	Buy
Kamagra Oral Jelly	100 mg	21 Sachets	95.92€ 91.35€	Buy
Cialis Generic	60mg	60 + 4 Pills	145.06€ 138.15€	Buy
Kamagra Oral Jelly	100 mg	220 + 18 Sachets	662.24€ 630.70€	Buy
Levitra Generic	60mg	90 + 6 Pills	291.82€ 277.92€	Buy
Kamagra Oral Jelly	100mg	30 + 5 Sachets	136.20€ 129.71€	Buy
Levitra Original	20mg	120 + 8 Pills	528.19€ 503.04€	Buy
Viagra Generic	25mg	60 + 4 Pills	71.99€ 68.56€	Buy
Kamagra	100mg	12 Pills	55.64€ 52.99€	Buy
Levitra Generic	40mg	30 + 2 Pills	93.58€ 89.12€	Buy

Improving stress management by lessening stressful situations, scheduling time for self-care (in whatever way that looks like for you), getting enough sleep, exercising, and eating well can all help improve your mental health and mood.

Risk	Possible Cause	Prevention Measures
Interactions with Medications	Herbal ingredients affecting drug metabolism	Consult a healthcare provider
Overdose	Excessive dosing or multiple products simultaneously	Follow dosing instructions strictly
Dependency or Psychological Dependence	Reliance on pills for arousal	Use as part of a healthy sexual routine
Mislabeled or Contaminated Products	Lack of regulation, counterfeit products	Purchase from reputable sources

Sleep affects your overall well being in so many ways, including your sexual desire. Think about it: If you’re conked at the end of the day, do you really want to expend the energy to have sex? But here’s the kicker: Getting good sleep is related to higher libido the next day.

One Supplement to Avoid

HSDD is defined as “a persistent or recurrent absence of sexual fantasies and desire for sexual activity, causing personal distress or interpersonal difficulties.” That last part—personal distress/interpersonal difficulties—is really important. When your low libido is making you feel unhappy or causing issues in your relationship, then it’s something to take steps to treat. (You’re in the right place, keep reading!) The symptoms of low libido can include: Reduced or lack of desire for fantasies and sexual stimulation Inability to maintain desire during sexual activity Loss of desire to initiate or participate in sexual activity Avoidance of situations that can lead to sexual activity Making things more complex are all of the factors that influence your sexual desire, including: Physical causes: Hormonal changes like menopause, which can affect vaginal tissues in particular, leading to discomfort; stage of life, such as postpartum; medications; and underlying medical conditions like thyroid disease. Psychological causes: Stress, anxiety, depression, past trauma, and more. Lifestyle factors: Poor diet, lack of exercise, sleep problems, and more.

Can Any Supplement Help Women Climax?

Understanding how you're faring in all these categories will help you identify the root cause(s) of your low sex drive—and what you can do to start to bring the heat back up. When you’re ready to make a changes to restore your sex drive, you can start with some of these natural solutions for a higher libido: Everyone “knows” that oysters are known to be an aphrodisiac, but you definitely don’t have to eat them to get in super p force online the mood. Eating in a healthy, balanced way—shout out to the Mediterranean Diet—reduces inflammation, decreases the risk of metabolic syndrome, and helps maintain a healthy weight, all of which keep blood vessels healthy—which impacts genital arousal. (Blood flow to vaginal tissues is key for vaginal lubrication.) Limiting your sodium intake, in particular, enhances the ability of vessels to dilate. And a special shout-out to tofu and edamame: Soy intake has been also shown to help boost vaginal blood flow and lubrication, which is especially helpful if you’re experiencing vaginal dryness and irritation.

Rx Vaginal Creams

Other foods that have been shown to help with sexual health thanks to their effects on the vascular system or vaginal lubrications: watermelon, apples, and cacao. Vaginal dryness, irritation, and pain during intercourse affect 50% of women after menopause. If vaginal dryness and irritation is a big part of your libido nosedive, it’s time to buddy up with vaginal moisturizers and lubricants. Vaginal moisturizers, which you can apply a few times per week, work by improving moisture in vaginal cells so that you’re naturally more hydrated. Midi clinicians recommend the vaginal moisturizing products by the brands Good Clean Love and Revaree by Bonafide. In fact, getting just one extra hour of sleep was associated with a 14% increase in the odds of engaging in sexual activity with a partner, according to research in The Journal of Sexual Medicine. Women who got more sleep also reported better genital arousal.

Real Science. Real Results.

Many things can make sex less exciting for women throughout life, and especially during menopause, including problems in the areas of desire, arousal, orgasm, and pleasure, says Midi’s chief clinical officer Mindy Goldman, M.D. Unfortunately there are still many societal taboos around discussing sex, says Goldman, making women less likely to bring it up with their doctor. “Women should know that sexual concerns are normal and can be addressed,” says Dr. Goldman. “That’s why it’s especially important to find a provider who is knowledgeable and comfortable and open in discussing these concerns.” So, how can you get your libido back?

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We’ll break down everything you need to know about low libido, natural ways to increase it, plus medical treatments, relationship fixes, and more. At Midi, our clinicians have heard—and treated it all—so they can help you regain your spark and interest in sex. Libido is simply a word to describe sexual desire, or how much you want to engage in sexual activity. You can have a high libido, meaning you have a high sex drive. You can also have a low libido, which means a low sex drive.

Improve Sleep Quality

During perimenopause and menopause, declining levels of estrogen can take your typical level of desire and tank it. Not to mention that a decrease in estrogen can also cause vaginal dryness and thinning that make sex uncomfortable and painful. Of course, it’s important to remember that levels of desire are so individual, varies from person-to-person, and can shift throughout life. And then there’s how your low libido can affect your relationship—especially if there’s a mismatch in sex drive with your partner that's putting a real dent in both of your lives. If low libido lingers for a long time, you may be diagnosed with hypoactive sexual desire disorder, or HSDD. When searching for solutions for low libido, you may have come across libido gummies, which are supplements (in gummy form) that contain ingredients that, companies claim, improve sexual desire and function. Products differ across the board but they may include a combination of the following: These herbs are added to libido gummies for one of several reasons: They may help reduce stress and anxiety, are considered an aphrodisiac, improve blood flow, or are linked to enhanced sexual desire. There is, however, a lack of evidence showing that libido gummies will effectively improve your sex life (or desire for one), and individual data on many of these ingredients is also lacking, conflicting, or shows limited evidence. The choice is yours if you’d like to try them to see if they benefit you.

Ingredient	Known Benefits	Common Sources	Safety Notes
Maca Root	Enhances libido, energy	Root vegetable	Consult for hormone interactions
Ginseng	Boosts stamina and arousal	Root of ginseng plant	Possible insomnia, headaches
Yohimbine	Increases blood flow	Bark of yohimbe tree	Can cause increased heart rate
Tribulus Terrestris	Improves sexual desire	Plant extract	May affect hormone levels
L-Arginine	Promotes blood circulation	Amino acid	Can cause gastrointestinal upset

These types of gummies aren’t considered harmful, so even if it’s just the placebo effect that has you feeling more perked up, take it.

• [Acetyl-L-Carnitine: May support nerve health and sensation.]
• [Coenzyme Q10: Antioxidant for cellular energy.]
• [Pycnogenol: Pine bark extract for blood flow.]
• [Icariin: Active compound in Horny Goat Weed.]
• [Catuaba Bark: Traditional Brazilian herbal aphrodisiac.]

Still, before choosing any supplement, it’s important to purchase those that are third-party certified, which ensures that they are labeled correctly and do not contain contaminants. Doing so helps you stay safe when taking them—a must even when they’re available over-the-counter. Supplements are unlikely to be the answer to your libido problems.

Alternative medicine

Vaginal lubricants, on the other hand, are products that you use during sexual activity. These products make penetration more comfortable and a whole lot more enjoyable. If you’re using condoms, you’ll want to ensure that the lubricant you’re using is also condom compatible. (That includes silicone- and water-based lubes, but often not oil-based ones.) No matter what OTC product you’re using, make sure that it’s fragrance-free (and, if a lubricant, also free of colors and flavorings) to protect the health of your vagina. Getting your body moving at the gym (or anywhere, frankly) can help amp up the energy elsewhere. Your health, life stage, lifestyle, and relationship are all pieces to figuring out exactly why your desire is down—and how to get it back up. Most women benefit from a treatment plan that's more holistic, including a combination of lifestyle changes, medications, and maybe even some supplements, to get your libido back on track.