5 Things You Need to Know About Depression's Effects on Sex

1. Lack of Sexual Interest is a Possible Symptom of Depression

In some, but not all people with depression, loss of interest in sex is a major symptom of this serious mood disorder. Depending on the study, up to 70% of people with depression experience a loss of libido (sexual desire). And people often say that of all the symptoms of depression, loss of interest in sex is one of the most disturbing. Other possible symptoms of depression include feelings of sadness, worthlessness, and hopelessness, extreme irritability, sleep difficulties, and problems concentrating. If you have some or all of these symptoms, ask your doctor for a depression screening test.

2. Depression Isn't Just About You

If depression has caused you to lose interest in sex, it also affects your sex partner. When a person loses interest in sex, it?s natural for a spouse or lover to wonder if something in the relationship has changed. Are you attracted to someone else? Do you no longer find that person desirable? Your partner may not know that you are depressed, or may not understand that depression can kill your sex drive. Help the person understand that your illness has caused your loss of interest in sex.

3. Depression Can Make You Careless

People with mild or moderate depression may not experience a problem with sex drive. But researchers in Australia discovered another problem in this group: unsafe sex practices. They conducted research in gay men and found that those who had a low-grade form of depression called dysthymia were about twice as likely as others to engage in unsafe sex practices. In the six months before the study started, 40% of the men with low-grade depression reported having unsafe sex, compared with 22% of the men without depression. In another study conducted in the United States among African American youth, those who were depressed were four times as likely as those who were not depressed to report careless or inconsistent use of condoms.

4. Antidepressants are Linked to Sexual Problems

As many as 60% of people who take the most common type of antidepressants, SSRIs, experience sexual problems related directly to the medications. The most common sexual side effect of SSRIs is trouble achieving orgasm, or the complete absence of orgasms. Other possible problems include decreased libido and erectile dysfunction. Older antidepressants, called TCAs, are more likely to cause erectile dysfunction than problems with orgasm.

5. You Can Work Around the Sexual Problems Caused by Antidepressants

Non-SSRI antidepressants are less likely to cause sexual side effects. Bupropion (brand name, Wellbutrin) is one of the more common non-SSRI antidepressants, and it is currently being investigated as a way to treat women who are not depressed but do have difficulties achieving orgasm. Mirtazapine (brand name, Remeron, Remeron SolTab) is another antidepressant not usually associated with sexual difficulties.
Ask your doctor if you can take a drug holiday. If you're planning a weekend away with your spouse or companion, maybe it's possible for you to take a break from your antidepressant between Friday and Monday. Depending on the characteristics of the antidepressant you take, it may also be possible to take it in the morning, for example, and have sex at night.