Wed,26 October 2011
Sexual desire can be impaired or reduced. It also may be weak or not be present at all, such as in occurrences of asexuality. Factors of reduced libido can be both psychological and physical. Absence of libido may or may not correlate with infertility or impotence.
Freud viewed libido as passing through a series of developmental stages within the individual. Failure to adequately adapt to the demands of these different stages could result in libidinal energy becoming 'dammed up' or fixated in these stages, producing certain pathological character traits in adulthood.
Wed,26 October 2011
Physical factors that can affect libido include: endocrine issues such as hypothyroidism, levels of available testosterone in the bloodstream of both women and men, the effect of certain prescription medications (for example proscar (a.k.a. finasteride) or minoxidil), various lifestyle factors and the attractiveness and biological fitness of one's partner. Inborn lack of sexual desire, often observed in asexual people, can also be considered a physical factor.
Being very underweight, severely obese, or malnourished can cause a low libido due to disruptions in normal hormonal levels. |
