Libido, which is the term used to describe sexual desire or sexual drive, can vary greatly from person to person. It is influenced by hormones, brain function, and learned behaviors, regardless of a person's biological sex, gender identity, or sexual orientation. Libido can be affected by medical conditions, hormone levels, medications, and lifestyle and relationship problems. The World Health Organization (WHO) states that sexual health is a state of physical, emotional, mental and social well-being in relation to sexuality.
Modern doctors recognize the importance of libido as one of the key indicators of general health and quality of life. Libido is used to describe your sexual desire or fantasies about sexual activities. Physical health, mental health, hormone balance, stress, and relationship satisfaction all have an impact on libido. A persistently low libido may be an indication of hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD), a mood disorder characterized by a persistent lack of sexual desire or sexual fantasies in the absence of any known medical cause. One study found that some women's libidos may decrease depending on their satisfaction with the relationship.
While a high libido can be beneficial, too high a libido can interfere with a person's quality of life and may be a sign of a hormonal imbalance, a neurological disorder, or a mood disorder such as hypersexuality. Additionally, the impact of increased stress, anxiety, or mental health problems can decrease sexual desire. Some women may not notice any change in their sexual desire while taking the pill; however, low libido is often reported to be an unwanted side effect of hormonal contraceptives.In psychology, the libido is often described as a component of the life instinct or the instinctive biological drive for sex. Estrogen can be energizing and give a healthy glow to the skin while also boosting libido.
Sexual desire is usually higher in men in the morning when testosterone levels are higher; this is why men often wake up with an erection, which is a physical sign of increased libido. Freud developed the idea that there are developmental phases in which the libido is fixed in different erogenous zones; first in the oral phase (exemplified by the baby's pleasure when breastfeeding), then in the anal phase (exemplified by the child's pleasure of controlling his intestines), then in the phallic phase, going through a latent stage in which the libido is latent until its resurgence in the genital stage. Whether you feel like your libido is at its peak or you don't feel like having sex at all, you may feel uncomfortable thinking about it or talking about it with your partner or health professional. Throughout history, the term “libido” has had different meanings in psychiatry and psychoanalysis. More narrowly defined, libido also refers to an individual's urge to engage in sexual activity; its antonym is dead or destroyed libido.
Libido is simply a description of general desire to have sex without cultural judgments or expectations.
