For years, we’ve heard that men are more prone to sexual desire and are able to get turned on at the slightest provocation. However, it’s important to note that not all men and women are created equal when it comes to sexual desire.
Biologically, men experience a strong libido in their early 20s, when reproductive hormones are at their peak. Women’s libido is more variable and can fluctuate depending on many factors.
Sex drive
While some people have a lower or higher libido than others, it’s important to remember that the sexual feelings, thoughts, and behaviors we experience are part of our overall sense of sexuality. In general, low or high libido isn’t a problem — it only becomes a problem if you can’t satisfy your own sexual needs or those of your partner.
Boys, on average, have a higher sex drive than girls and begin experiencing sexual feelings and activity before girls do.
Sexual arousal
Sexual arousal is the brain’s response to a physical stimulus, such as touch, sight or smell. It’s why we say we feel “horny.” Arousal often comes from the senses, such as a feeling of heat or cold, a tingling sensation and a pounding heart. It can also be triggered by thinking about or seeing erotic images or situations. Even a dream about sex can arouse a person.
Once someone is sexually aroused, they want to act on it. But they may not know exactly how to do so, which can lead to problems. Arousal can also affect how much a person wants to sleep or eat, and it can be disrupted by bad moods. People who have arousal problems may benefit from talking to a health professional, as it can sometimes signal an underlying problem.
The way men and women experience sexual arousal is different. For example, being highly sexually aroused increases the flow of blood to the genitals in women, which triggers a natural reaction that releases a lubricant. For men, becoming highly sexually aroused increases the pressure between two spongelike tubular spaces within the shaft of their penis, which can lead to an erection.
The differences between men and women in how they respond to arousal are still being explored. New and refined methods of studying arousal are allowing researchers to explore how the physiological and subjective aspects of arousal interact.
Libido
While libido is a natural occurrence, it can be affected by many things. Some common causes of low libido include certain medications, depression and anxiety disorders, medical conditions such as cancer or autoimmune diseases, and lifestyle factors such as excessive drinking, smoking and recreational drugs. Low libido can also occur in men and women at any age.
According to Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung, libido is more than just sexual desire and involves a complex process that combines biological drives with idealistic standards imposed by the superego (the part of the personality formed by internalized morals and ideas from parents and authority figures). The libido must mediate these two forces to create pleasure and avoid pain.
A low libido can cause a couple to have difficulty in their relationship, especially if one partner has a high sex drive and the other has a lower one. Having an open discussion with your partner about what sexual activity means to both of you can help alleviate some problems. If the problem is chronic or severe, a therapist who specializes in sexual issues can provide guidance and counseling.
Libido can vary from person to person, but it is important to remember that thinking about sex often is normal and healthy. Likewise, it is not necessary to seek medical intervention or treatment for low libido unless you are worried that it will affect your relationship or interfere with your daily life.
Hormones
Hormones are chemical messengers that spur on changes within the cells of the body to supply energy and aid in development. They are produced in glands and secreted into the bloodstream, where they travel to target organs. They are divided into two major groups: steroids and peptides. Examples of steroid hormones include testosterone and cortisol. Examples of peptide hormones are adrenaline and insulin.
Hormonal imbalances can impact a person’s sex drive and are influenced by genetics, diet, lifestyle and environment. Certain medications (such as antidepressants, blood pressure medicines and estrogen) may reduce libido in some people. Depression, anxiety and a history of sexual trauma can also affect libido. Other factors that can lead to a low sex drive include drinking excessive amounts of alcohol or recreational drugs, smoking and being overweight.
Researchers are working on ways to use the naturally-occurring peptide kisspeptin to treat low sex drive in women and men. Two recent studies published in the journal JAMA Network Open showed that kisspeptin can improve responses to sexual stimuli and boost attraction brain pathways, independently of reproductive hormones such as estrogen and testosterone.
These studies simultaneously measured levels of estrogen, progesterone and testosterone in women across a natural menstrual cycle. They found that estradiol and testosterone were higher during ovulation, which explains why some women feel more sexually aroused around that time.
See Also:
