How Women Can Boost Their Sexual Desire

Journal of Sex Research, 54(2), 186-201. Sexual Desire Discrepancy: A Position Statement of the European Society for Sexual Medicine. Group mindfulness-based therapy significantly improves sexual desire in women. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 57, 43-54. An investigation of the relationship between physical fitness, self-concept, and sexual functioning. Journal of education and health promotion, 7, 57. The Journal of Sexual vigora 200 mg Medicine, 7(2), 964-970.

Pharmaceuticals for Premenopausal Women

Or if you’re interested in working through this issue with a mental health professional, you can start by trying our mental health services. Prevalence of Low Sexual Desire and Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder in a Nationally Representative Sample of US Women. Lifestyle Choices Can Augment Female Sexual Well-Being. American journal of lifestyle medicine, 12(1), 38–41. Clinical Practice Guidelines for Management of Sexual Dysfunction.

Stimulating the clitoris for pleasure to naturally boost libido

Indian journal of psychiatry, 59(Suppl 1), S91–S115. The Relative Health Benefits of Different Sexual Activities. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 7(4), 1336-1361. Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder: A Review of Epidemiology, Biopsychology, Diagnosis, and Treatment. Sexual medicine reviews, 4(2), 103–120. Role of hormones in hypoactive sexual desire disorder and current treatment.

Journal of the Turkish German Gynecological Association, 18(4), 210–218. Increasing women's sexual desire: The comparative effectiveness of estrogens and androgens. Prescribing testosterone and DHEA: The role of androgens in women. Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine, 88(1), 35-43.

Pharmaceuticals for Postmenopausal Women

Chronic stress and sexual function in women. The journal of sexual medicine, 10(10), 2443–2454. The Effects of Acute Exercise on Mood, Cognition, Neurophysiology, and Neurochemical Pathways: A Review. Brain plasticity (Amsterdam, Netherlands), 2(2), 127–152. Women's sexual arousal: effects of high alcohol dosages and self-control instructions.

4. Improve Your Sleep

Hormones and behavior, 59(5), 730–738. Smoking is associated with worse mood on stressful days: results from a national diary study. Annals of behavioral medicine : a publication of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, 36(3), 259–269. Sexual satisfaction is associated with sexual communication, mood setting, sexual variety, oral sex, orgasm, and sex frequency in a national U.S. study. Mayo Clinic proceedings, 91(9), 1280–1286. A review of the positive and negative effects of cardiovascular drugs on sexual function: a proposed table for use in clinical practice. Netherlands heart journal : monthly journal of the Netherlands Society of Cardiology and the Netherlands Heart Foundation, 22(1), 11–19. Female Sexual Dysfunction: Natural and Complementary Treatments. Focus (American Psychiatric Publishing), 16(1), 19–23. Family Nurse Practitioner Internship - Saint Louis University, 1999 Family Nurse Practitioner Internship - Saint Louis University, 1999 APRN, Certified Nurse Practitioner, North Dakota, 2024 APRN, Certified Nurse Practitioner, North Dakota, 2024 APRN, Certified Nurse Practitioner, Rhode Island, 2024 APRN, Certified Nurse Practitioner, Rhode Island, 2024 Family Nurse Practitioner - American Nurses Credentialing Center, 2000 Family Nurse Practitioner - American Nurses Credentialing Center, 2000 Lean Six Sigma, Green Belt Certification, 2015 Lean Six Sigma, Green Belt Certification, 2015 Family Practice Medicine, specializing in chronic disease management (diabetes, hypertension, obesity). Additional support and treatment of mental health diagnosis and men’s and women’s health. Family Practice Medicine, specializing in chronic disease management (diabetes, hypertension, obesity). Caring for the whole person—understanding that true health extends beyond physical symptoms—has always been central to my work. As a nurse and family nurse practitioner, I’m passionate about empowering individuals to live their healthiest lives, physically, emotionally, and socially.

• Incorporate foods rich in healthy fats like avocados and nuts for hormonal production.
• Practice positive affirmations to boost confidence and sexual self-esteem.
• Use music or ambient sounds to create a romantic atmosphere.
• Limit exposure to hormonal disruptors like BPA and parabens.
• Schedule intimate moments to prioritize and foster desire intentionally.
• Seek professional help for medical conditions affecting libido.
• Keep a journal to track factors influencing your sexual desire and habits.

Delivering compassionate, comprehensive care is not only my profession—it’s my purpose. In my spare time, I enjoy staying active and connected to nature through skiing, hiking, and spending time outdoors.

Hormone Therapy for Low Libido

If you’re interested in this treatment, you can learn more about libido pills and how they’re effective in boosting sexual desire and drive. Every person’s sex drive is different, meaning there’s no such thing as a “normal” sex drive for everyone. However, if you feel unhappy with your level of interest in sex, it’s often worth taking steps to increase your sex drive and enjoy a more fulfilling sex life. Low sex drive or libido can fluctuate and change due to a number of factors, such as health conditions, mental health, sexual health, lifestyle habits, stress and more. Symptoms of a low sex drive can vary by person, but often result in reduced lubrication, difficulty achieving orgasm, loss of sexual desire for your partner and more.

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Persistent low libido is referred to as hypoactive sexual desire disorder. There are several ways to boost libido, such as reducing stress, improving your relationship, making certain lifestyle changes, talking with a therapist, regular exercise, hormone tests and female libido supplements. A low sex drive can definitely be distressing. But there are plenty of ways to increase libido. Talk to your healthcare provider to rule out any underlying causes like medication use or hormone levels. I’m also an avid St. Louis Cardinals baseball fan and find joy in reading, sewing, baking, and creative hobbies that keep me inspired outside of work. If your sex drive has gone quiet, you’re not broken. You’re likely under-rested, overstimulated, or hormonally out of sync, here’s how to shift it. Valentine’s Day has a way of turning libido into a talking point… whether you’re feeling it or faking it. If your sex drive has gone quiet lately, you’re not broken. You’re likely under-rested, overstimulated or hormonally out of sync. Low libido in women isn’t a personality flaw.

• Maintain a healthy weight, as obesity can lower libido due to hormonal imbalances.
• Try sensual activities like massage or aromatic baths to stimulate desire.
• Limit caffeine intake to prevent adrenal fatigue, which can affect libido.
• Engage in regular social activities to boost mood and sexual desire.
• Seek therapy if emotional or psychological issues affect sexual interest.
• Explore new intimacy techniques or fantasies to rekindle desire.
• Use aromatherapy with essential oils like ylang-ylang or rose to stimulate libido.

Desire is shaped by your hormones, brain chemistry, stress load, sleep quality, blood sugar stability and whether your nervous system feels safe enough to switch out of survival mode. When cortisol is high, sleep is low and your mental tabs are permanently open, libido is usually the first thing to disappear… not because something’s wrong, but because your body is prioritising something else.

Other Tips to Improve Female Libido

Instead, talk to your healthcare provider for more information about what you can do to reduce or manage any sexual side effects. Search “how do I increase my sex drive” on Amazon and thousands of health supplements promising to boost your libido in little to no time will pop up. While these products make grand claims, the ingredients used in most of these products generally aren’t backed up by solid science, and none of the products are regulated by the FDA. Certain female libido supplements, such as DHEA, are associated with potential improvements in sex drive, but can also cause unpleasant side effects such as pattern hair growth, acne, oily skin and a range of drug interactions. It’s best to be cautious if you’re considering female libido supplements as a way to improve your sex drive.

Am I Normal: There's Pain During Sex

However, there are sex drive pills for women backed by science to treat low libido. Flibanserin, which is also known by the brand name of Addyi®, is FDA-approved and often prescribed to women with HSDD. Another FDA-approved medication, Vyleesi®, is an injectable drug for women with HSDD who have not yet gone through menopause and whose low libido is not caused by a medical or mental health issue. Another ingredient that may increase libido in women is ginkgo biloba, which may increase blood flow and has long been thought to contain sexual-enhancing properties. This natural remedy is one of the main ingredients in this desire libido supplement. The problem is, most advice still treats libido like a switch you can flip. But if what you actually need is nervous system regulation, hormone support, or more sleep, those tips miss the point. With Intimacy Coach April Maria’s expert guidance, we’re unpacking what causes low libido in women, what the evidence says about increasing sex drive naturally and which things are genuinely worth your time. If you’re wondering how to increase libido in women, it helps to start by ditching the idea that libido is a fixed drive you either have or don’t. April explains why this language can backfire. “When we talk about ‘libido,’ it can be helpful to remove the word drive or ‘sex drive.’ Why? because a drive implies that sex should be something urgent and biologically pressing, like hunger.” That framing makes low desire feel like failure, when it’s often just your body responding intelligently to context. April is also clear that sexuality doesn’t always behave like a spontaneous urge, especially for women.

• Practice Kegel exercises to strengthen pelvic muscles, increasing sexual pleasure and desire.
• Stay hydrated; dehydration can lead to fatigue, reducing interest in intimacy.
• Reduce processed foods and sugars, which may disrupt hormonal balance and libido.
• Incorporate aphrodisiac foods like oysters, dark chocolate, and chili peppers into meals.
• Consider acupuncture; some women find it helpful in improving sexual function.
• Address underlying health issues like hypothyroidism or depression that impact libido.
• Use lubricants to enhance comfort and arousal during intimacy.

“The phrase 'sex drive' implies that it is an essential urge, but sexuality rarely works that way, especially for women,” she says. “In fact, desire is often highly responsive to context, and factors such as emotional safety, hormones, connection, touch, relationship quality and wellbeing influence our ability to access it.” In other words, if you’re wondering why your libido is low, the answer is often less about what’s wrong and more about what may have changed.

That’s why April reframes the story many women tell themselves. “So when women feel they ‘lack a sex drive,’ it’s not that the engine is broken, but in fact it can be a combination of unmet emotional, physical, or relational needs.” A lot of libido anxiety comes from expecting desire to arrive first, perfectly timed. April says one of the most helpful distinctions is understanding desire versus arousal. “When I speak with my clients, I find it supportive to help them distinguish between desire and arousal, as a person may have arousal before they have desire or desire without arousal,” she explains.

If you’ve ever thought, “I’m not in the mood, but once we start it’s good” or the reverse… you’re not unusual, you’re human. “Desire is the mental or emotional interest in sex, while arousal is the body’s physiological response, such as genital sensation and lubrication,” says April.