| Sexual Health |
Libido
Libido is a fancy word for sex drive. Can you guess who first used it? Sigmund Freud. He believed that we are born with
sexual energy in the form of the libido. As infants, this energy is directed towards everything. As we age, the libido becomes
associated with different areas of the body. According to Freud, we progress through oral, anal, latent, and genital stages. As
the libido moves from one part of the body to another, problems can occur leading to physical and mental difficulties. In fact,
Freud believed that many adult problems result from difficulties in one's psychosexual development.
Female libido
• Sexual desire is influenced by many different things. It probably is the case that there are some hormonal influences
on libido, however what you're thinking (cognition) is more important to desire than hormones levels alone.
• Sexual desire does not change in approximately 50-70% of post-menopausal women. This means that when a woman
has stopped cycling her hormones (the 'pause' in the 'meno'), her sexual desire is most often unaffected. Other social and
medical factors, such as loss or unavailability of a partner, health status, or partner discord have been shown to be far more
influential than postmenopausal hormone levels (including testosterone).
• Hormone = libido' theory
Research shows that women, on average, report more sexual desire (libido), more sexual activity, and more interest in
erotica during the pre-bleeding, bleeding, and first phase (follicular phase) of their cycles. This would seem to support a
'hormone = libido' theory.
Studies show that if you don't have a cognitive sense of desire, that your hormonal level won't matter much
Hormones are to libido, what icing is to cake: hormones may enhance an underlying sexual desire, but aren't responsible for
developing the desire in the first place
Anyone who suffers from a sub-optimal libido should avoid alcohol because it decreases the body's ability to produce
testosterone (male hormone). Alcohol not only decreases sexual function in the male but also increases the risk for heart
attack. Other drugs which are common causes of impotence include anti-hypertensives, diuretics, narcotics, antidepressants
and tranquilizers. Marijuana, cocaine and heavy cigarette smoking all decrease sexual capabilities by damaging the tiny
blood vessels that supply blood to the penis.
The two most frequently prescribed drugs for the treatment of ulcers are cimetidine and ranitidine. Both have been reported
to decrease sperm count and produce impotence as one of their side effects. One of the mechanisms by which this occurs is
the overgrowth of candida or other fungi that thrive in a low stomach acid environment secondary to these acid suppressing
drugs. As the candida proliferate, they secrete many steroid hormones which are possibly antagonistic to testosterone and
other androgens.
Libido is a fancy word for sex drive. Can you guess who first used it? Sigmund Freud. He believed that we are born with
sexual energy in the form of the libido. As infants, this energy is directed towards everything. As we age, the libido becomes
associated with different areas of the body. According to Freud, we progress through oral, anal, latent, and genital stages. As
the libido moves from one part of the body to another, problems can occur leading to physical and mental difficulties. In fact,
Freud believed that many adult problems result from difficulties in one's psychosexual development.
Female libido
• Sexual desire is influenced by many different things. It probably is the case that there are some hormonal influences
on libido, however what you're thinking (cognition) is more important to desire than hormones levels alone.
• Sexual desire does not change in approximately 50-70% of post-menopausal women. This means that when a woman
has stopped cycling her hormones (the 'pause' in the 'meno'), her sexual desire is most often unaffected. Other social and
medical factors, such as loss or unavailability of a partner, health status, or partner discord have been shown to be far more
influential than postmenopausal hormone levels (including testosterone).
• Hormone = libido' theory
Research shows that women, on average, report more sexual desire (libido), more sexual activity, and more interest in
erotica during the pre-bleeding, bleeding, and first phase (follicular phase) of their cycles. This would seem to support a
'hormone = libido' theory.
Studies show that if you don't have a cognitive sense of desire, that your hormonal level won't matter much
Hormones are to libido, what icing is to cake: hormones may enhance an underlying sexual desire, but aren't responsible for
developing the desire in the first place
Anyone who suffers from a sub-optimal libido should avoid alcohol because it decreases the body's ability to produce
testosterone (male hormone). Alcohol not only decreases sexual function in the male but also increases the risk for heart
attack. Other drugs which are common causes of impotence include anti-hypertensives, diuretics, narcotics, antidepressants
and tranquilizers. Marijuana, cocaine and heavy cigarette smoking all decrease sexual capabilities by damaging the tiny
blood vessels that supply blood to the penis.
The two most frequently prescribed drugs for the treatment of ulcers are cimetidine and ranitidine. Both have been reported
to decrease sperm count and produce impotence as one of their side effects. One of the mechanisms by which this occurs is
the overgrowth of candida or other fungi that thrive in a low stomach acid environment secondary to these acid suppressing
drugs. As the candida proliferate, they secrete many steroid hormones which are possibly antagonistic to testosterone and
other androgens.
Normal male sexual function
involves 3 phases:
involves 3 phases:
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