ABSTRACT
Libido is a person’s overall desire for sexual activity, and is determined by hormonal as well as physical and motivational-affective factors in both sexes. Circulating androgens are promoters of sex drive and are derived largely from the testes in men and the suprarenal glands in women. A number of endogenous substances regulate libido, which include cortisol, serotonin, oestrogens, dopamine, alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone, norepinephrine, oxytocin, progesterone, and sex-hormone-binding globulins. Psychological factors can impact on libido, namely, interpersonal relationship, loss of intimacy, stress, fatigue, and bereavement. Other causes include experience of sexual abuse, assault, trauma or neglect, negative body image, and anxiety about engaging in sexual activity. Psychiatric disorders, such as depression and schizophrenia, reduce sex drive both through biochemical imbalances and the side effects of medications. In cases of low libido, it is important for the woman to describe the problem, including when it first started and how it has developed.
