How Women Can Increase Their Libido: 6 Expert Tips for Every Age

Feeling good about yourself and your partner can be the best foreplay.

• Regular sexual activity can maintain healthy libido.
• Libido may decrease due to aging or menopause.
• Certain neurological conditions affect desire.
• Creative and novel experiences can boost libido.
• Healthy relationships nurture sexual desire.
• Darkness or low lighting often enhance arousal.
• Supplements like maca root are believed to improve libido.
• Hormonal fluctuations are a common cause of desire changes.
• Some medications can increase libido as a side effect.
• Listening to music may increase sexual arousal.

Primary healthcare professionals and gynecologists often ask about sex and intimacy as part of a routine medical visit.

Is Low Libido in Women Normal?

This vaginal insert delivers the hormone dehydroepiandrosterone directly to the vagina to help ease painful sex. You use this medicine nightly to ease the symptoms of moderate to serious vaginal dryness linked with GSM. Taken daily, this pill can help ease painful sex symptoms in women with moderate to serious GSM. This medicine isn't approved for women who've had breast cancer or who have a high risk of breast cancer. There is a problem with information submitted for this request.

Hormonal Changes

Review/update the information highlighted below and resubmit the form. Sign up for free and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips, current health topics, and expertise on managing health. We use the data you provide to deliver you the content you requested. To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, we may combine your email and website data with other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, we will only use your protected health information as outlined in our Notice of Privacy Practices. Take this chance to talk about your sexual concerns. If your healthcare professional doesn't mention the subject, you can bring it up. You might feel embarrassed to talk about sex with your healthcare professional. But this topic is perfectly fine to talk about. In fact, your sexual satisfaction is a vital part of your overall health and well-being.

To prepare for this talk with the pink pill for women your healthcare professional: Take note of any sexual problems you've been having. Include when and how often you usually have these issues. Make a list of your key medical information. Include any conditions for which you're being treated.

Are There Medical Treatments Specifically for Low Libido?

It's natural to feel frustrated or sad if you aren't able to be as sexy and romantic as you want or used to be. At the same time, low sex drive can make your partner feel rejected. That can lead to conflicts and strife. And this type of relationship stress can lessen the desire for sex even more. It may help to remember that changes in sex drive are typical.

Next steps:

They're part of every relationship and every stage of life. Try not to focus all of your attention on sex. Instead, spend some time nurturing yourself and your relationship. Kiss your partner goodbye before you head out the door. Make a date night at your favorite restaurant. Also note the names of all medicines, vitamins or supplements you take. Think about questions to ask your healthcare professional and write them down. Bring along notepaper and a pen or a device you can type on. That way, you can jot down information as your healthcare professional answers your questions.

Make an Appointment

Add a little spice to your sex life. Try a different sexual position, a different time of day or a different location for sex. Ask your partner to spend more time on foreplay. If you and your partner are open to new ideas, sex toys and fantasy can help spark your sexual desire. If you have genitourinary syndrome of menopause, these products may ease certain symptoms, such as vaginal dryness.

What creates high libido?

With regular use, they might work about as well as estrogen therapy. Smoking, using illegal drugs and drinking too much alcohol can dampen your sex drive. Stopping these habits may help give your sex drive a boost. It can improve your overall health too. Talking about low sex drive with a healthcare professional can be hard for some people. Some basic questions to ask your healthcare professional include: Will my level of desire ever get back to what it once was? What lifestyle changes can I make to improve my situation?

• Libido can fluctuate due to menstrual cycle phases.
• Certain medications might lower female sexual desire.
• Hormonal therapies can help restore libido in some women.
• Psychological factors like depression impact libido.
• Body image issues can decrease sexual desire.
• Herbal supplements such as ginseng may enhance libido.
• Physical intimacy fosters emotional and sexual connection.
• Sexual fantasies can be a natural part of desire.
• Lifestyle factors like smoking reduce libido.
• Chronic illnesses may negatively affect female libido.

What books or other reading material can you recommend? Your healthcare professional asks questions about your symptoms and checks your hormone levels. Questions your healthcare professional may ask include: And do you have trouble becoming aroused? Do you have vaginal dryness, trouble having an orgasm or any pain during sex? How much distress do you feel about your sexual concerns? How long have you felt a lack of desire or other symptoms? Have you ever been treated for cancer?

• Libido varies between individuals, no “normal” level.
• Chronic stress is a major libido suppressor.
• Using lubricants can enhance sexual comfort.
• Being comfortable in your body promotes desire.
• Open discussion about needs improves intimacy.
• Some women report increased desire during pregnancy.
• Fatigue from work reduces interest in sex.
• Support from partners enhances libido.
• Regular health check-ups can detect issues affecting desire.
• Sexual self-exploration can boost libido awareness.

Have you had any surgeries of the genitals or reproductive system? Overview of sexual dysfunction in females: Epidemiology, risk factors, and evaluation. Overview of sexual dysfunction in females: Management. Sexual dysfunction caused by selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs): Management.

Adipe T. Role of partner support in psychosexual aspects of vulvar dermatoses. 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. 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. 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. 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? 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.

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You may opt out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the email. You'll soon start receiving the latest Mayo Clinic health information you requested in your inbox. Please, try again in a couple of minutes Healthy lifestyle changes can make a big difference in your desire for sex: Regular aerobic exercise and strength training are great for you in general. But they also can increase your stamina, improve your body image, lift your mood and boost your libido. Finding ways to cope with stress tied to work, money and daily hassles can enhance your sex drive.

Can exercise really increase libido in women?

For instance, you could try journaling or meditation. Couples who learn to talk in an open, honest way often keep up a stronger emotional connection. And that can lead to better sex. Sharing your likes and dislikes can set the stage for more intimacy. But making the extra effort to be intimate can help put your sex drive back on track. Libido is simply a word to describe sexual desire, or how much you want to engage in sexual activity.

How Do You Treat Low Libido in Women?

So some people decide to try herbal supplements available without a prescription. Herbal supplements can have side effects or change how other medicines work. Always talk with a healthcare professional before using them. One herbal supplement blend is called Avlimil. This product has estrogen-like effects on the body.

Getting to Know Your Body Better

While estrogen may boost your sex drive, it also may fuel the growth of certain breast cancers. Another product called Zestra is a plant-based massage oil. One small study found that Zestra increased arousal and pleasure when compared with a placebo oil. But some participants in the study said they had mild burning in the genital area. Low sex drive can be challenging for you and your partner. 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. 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. 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.

• Yoga can improve flexibility and libido.
• Estrogen therapy is sometimes prescribed for low libido.
• Lifestyle adjustments can restore sexual interest.
• Sexual health clinics offer personalized advice.
• Female libido is a complex interplay of many factors.
• Some women find that fragrances or lotions increase arousal.
• Overexertion and fatigue lower sexual desire.
• Open conversations about desires improve intimacy.
• Libido may increase with new or stimulating experiences.
• Self-awareness about sexuality can enhance desire.