There is a wide range of factors that affect the libido of both men and women, reports Dr. D. Ashley Hill on Ob-Gyn.net. The desire for sex changes over time and can be reduced by situations ranging from medical issues to tiredness and emotional distress. Stress also can directly affect a woman's libido. Dr. Hill reports that while men often use sex to relieve stress, women are more likely to experience negative stress effects on their libidos.
Comparisons
Television, movies and other media often portray abnormal sex drives, or libido, that many women believe they must live up to. Worrying about not being able to match the sexual prowess seen in movies actually can lead to further stress and lack of interest in sex, reports Hill. While men may become aroused from sex scenes in movies, women tend to understand that the scenes are not based in reality. When men try to pressure women to recreate the fantasy, it adds stress to the women to perform according to a vision they know is unrealistic.
Communication
When a couple is not communicating, stress arises that can decrease the sex drive. An unresolved disagreement may be getting in the way of satisfying sex, leaving partners stressed about the situation. A lack of understanding about what pleases a partner during sex can create stress prior to sex that interferes with the experience. Dr. Hill advises couples to talk about what they like and what they want in the bedroom to eliminate the stressful conditions that ensue when one partner is left unsatisfied.
Thinking
Dr. Hill reports that the brain is the most important aspect of a libido and when other thoughts are filling a woman's head, stress from the unresolved thoughts interferes with sexual drive. Unresolved issues surrounding money or work will interfere with a woman's libido when she can't stop thinking about them. Thoughts and worries about sick family members, her own health or her partner's well-being can cause stress that interrupts any sexual desire.
Adrenalin
The physical effects of stress show up in the form of overtaxed adrenal glands, report WomentoWomen.com. The body reacts with its flight or fight response and always chooses survival mode over pleasure. The overburdened glands rob the body of the estrogen and especially the testosterone that is needed to maintain a strong libido. Chronic stress eventually leads to adrenal fatigue and there is little or no adrenalin left to prepare women for sexual encounters.
