What is libido?

Libido is the desire to experience sexual pleasure. We understand pleasure to be that mental and physical state which triggers hormonal changes and chemical reactions in a woman’s nervous system, as explained by Marta Torrón, a physiosexologist and pelvic floor physiotherapist, in the first Planeta V podcast.

This desire, this libido, does not remain stable throughout our lives, but changes depending on age, hormonal cycles, lifestyle… Indeed, there are many factors that affect female libido.

Factors affecting female libido

• Age: Sofía Fournier, a specialist in maternal-foetal medicine, notes that age is one of the main factors that can affect sexual desire. When we are teenagers and begin to discover pleasure, it is much easier for us to become aroused. However, as we get older, there are social, cultural and hormonal factors… that directly affect libido.

• Hormonal factors: oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone are the main hormones that affect sexual desire. Throughout our lives we experience changes; for example, during the menopause we experience a drop in oestrogen levels, which leads to a direct decline in sexual desire.

• Psychological factors: stress, anxiety, relationship problems, routine… our quality of life has a direct impact on our libido.

• Pain during intercourse: when sexual intercourse loses its appeal because of pain (dyspareunia), libido also decreases. Women may avoid sexual activity to prevent pain, which can ultimately lead to psychological distress and affect their quality of life.

• Postpartum and breastfeeding: after giving birth, women often experience a decrease in libido because breastfeeding leads to high levels of the hormone prolactin, which inhibits the hormone testosterone and reduces libido.

Tips for boosting libido

• Open communication: speaking openly with your partner is a key way to enhance your ability to experience pleasure.

• Experiment and move away from the rigid model of sexual intercourse based on penetration: breaking away from conventional sexual practices that start with oral sex and end with intercourse can help increase desire. Women can derive greater pleasure – and therefore feel more inclined to experience pleasure – if more time is devoted to clitoral stimulation and penetration is not viewed as an end in itself. Furthermore, as Sofía Fournier points out, achieving a purely vaginal orgasm is very difficult.

• Making time for sex: as Marta Torrón emphatically states, sexuality is not a form of leisure. Sexuality is part of our sexual health, and good sexual health has a direct impact on our quality of life; therefore, setting aside time for sex is essential.

• Having the right mindset: the desire to feel pleasure doesn’t just happen on its own. It’s important to have a positive and open mindset to help boost your libido.