How often have you heard yourself saying “I’m just not in the mood”?
It may have absolutely nothing to do with the quality of your relationship with your partner, but it can affect it. HSDD (low libido) is a common diagnosis for women, especially during menopause.
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What is HSDD?
Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD) is characterized by the absence of sexual thoughts, fantasies, and lack of interest in sexual activity. When these features cause personal distress for at least 6 months and are not attributable to medications, then a woman meets the criteria for a diagnosis of HSDD.
How many women experience HSDD?
HSDD is common. An estimated 1 in 10 women suffer from HSDD.
What are the symptoms of HSDD?
Women may experience symptoms of HSDD for years without receiving proper information on the condition or their treatment options.
Some of the most common symptoms of HSDD include:
- A decrease or absence of sexual thoughts or fantasies
- Lack of interest in sexual activity
- Feelings of shame, sadness, worry, or fear
Treatment Options
Several treatment options exist for women with HSDD. With treatment, women can expect the return of sexual thoughts and intimacy. It may take time for treatment to take effect, and some women may need to pursue more than one course of therapy to see improvement.
Treatment options can include:
- Medications, like Addyi and Vyleesi, to improve libido
- Medications to alleviate feelings of sadness, worry, or fear
- Testosterone therapy
- Counseling and physical therapy
What to expect on your visit
During your visit, you can expect your care team to listen to and address all of your concerns in a safe and trusted space.
A consultation for HSDD may include:
- A history and physical examination
- Labs
- Vulvoscopy
Yes, there are 2 FDA-approved treatment options. Addyi is a daily, oral, non-hormonal option for HSDD. Vyleesi is an on-demand injectable also available for treatment. Your provider can also discuss the possibility of using Testosterone as a treatment option, as there is data to support testosterone supplementation to help with low libido.
Non-medical treatment options include counseling, which is an effective tool and required by many people, and also data to support using written erotica (sexy stories) to help increase desire.
Sexuality is driven by a biopsychosocial model, meaning it is driven by biology, lifestyle components, and emotional factors. To name just a few of these causative, biopsychosocial factors: hormonal issues, illness, stress, a side effect of medications, or problems in a relationship. An assessment of these factors will help to identify modifiable components that may help with approaches to treatment.
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