Too many women suffer from low sexual desire, or low libido. Unfortunately low libido can affect many aspects of life including the sense of wellbeing, mood, self image, relationship, and healthy lifestyle choices.
Last week Dr. Diana Bitner, nationally recognized menopause specialist with Spectrum Health, discussed the physical reasons a person might suffer from low sex drive. This week she continues the discussion with nurse Natasha DeHaan, bringing up the interpersonal- mental- reasons women may suffer from low libido.
When women are interviewed about bringing up sexual health with their provider, there are several consistent reasons women avoid the issue. They tend not to bring it up because of the following reasons:
- Feel ashamed
- Feel alone
- Worried something is really wrong
- Afraid the doctor will be uncomfortable or won’t have answers
- Had a prior bad experience when tried to discuss
- Healthcare provider did not being up, must not be important
Women aren't the only ones at fault in having this conversation, their healthcare providers are also to blame. Healthcare providers also don't bring up the topic of sexual health because of some of the reason below:
- The patient did not bring up “must not be an issue”
- Underestimation of prevalence, how common is low desire
- Lack of education
- Feeling they do not have enough answers
- Discomfort with topic
- Concerned not enough time to discuss
- Feel the need to fix the problem, when it might not be a quick fix
When it comes to the interpersonal reasons as to why women have low desire for sex, these are the most common:
- Poor communication
- Lack of trust
- Differing sexual interests or mutual lust
- Lack of respect
- Lack of attraction
It can be hard to talk about sex, but providers can help get that conversation going. Just because couples are having trouble, doesn't mean that their sex life is over. Just get the conversation started, discover the interpersonal reasons for low libido, and women can be on their way to having a healthy sex life again.
Dr. Bitner's office is located at 3800 Lake Michigan Drive Northwest, Suite A. To schedule an appointment with her, call (616)-267-8225.
Read more stories like this on Dr. Bitner's Blog.
