Sex drive or libido is truly ‘LIFE DRIVE’ for the humanity. Men are both hands PRO this statement, women know this fact and successfully using it on ‘driving men’. Lack of sex drive is rather common in women and quite rare in men.

Sex drive is the ability or need to have sex regularly. Libido is an urge to copulate that in humans goes through sex. Low sex drive (or low libido) means lack of sexual desire.

Everyone (especially women) at least once in their lives experience that at some point. Though low sex drive should not be confused with erectile dysfunction (in men) and with inability to achieve orgasm (in women), this is not the same. Low libido is a variation of the norm, but only as a temporary experience. If the decline in sexual desire persists, it may cause problems. However, it is not always obvious even for you.

The signs of a low sex drive include:

· Less frequent sexual thoughts and fantasies

· Reduced sexual desire

· Reluctance to initiate sex

· Less frequent masturbation

· In women - lack of desire for sex when you've gone without sex for days, weeks, or months

· In men - absence of penis erection (or just hardening of penis) when stimulating and touching erogenous zones (like penis and nipples)

Causes of low sex drive can be some physical conditions or psychological problems. The most important and the most difficult step in finding the way out is to identify the reason of low libido. Only after this you can find the most effective solution and enjoy your sexual life (and desire for sexual life) again.

· Alcoholism – Though very small doses of alcohol wash away the social wheels and reduce shyness, excessive alcohol use can greatly diminish your sex drive.

· Some drugs – lots of medications may interfere with arousal and even the ability to achieve orgasm in men and women

· Major diseases (diabetes, Addison's disease, Cushing's syndrome, cancer, arthritis, kidney disease, epilepsy, Spinal Cord Injury and Thyroid Disorders)

· Drug abuse (such as cocaine)

· Hyperprolactinaemia - a rare disorder where the pituitary gland produces too much of the hormone prolactin

· Anorexia (mostly in women) or obesity (both) – anorexia is a psychological problem of woman that considers herself unattractive and sexually undesirable. Obese people may lack some important hormones for sexual desire and also feel themselves not attractive, that’s why not interested in sex. For them also is rather hard to actively perform sex.

· Post-baby coolness. NO, this is not only women’s problem. In women it is connected with hormonal changes that occur after childbirth. They also usually are too exhausted to even think about sex. In men the problem is different. They may not want to have sex as they can not have sexual desire to a mother (because it becomes very hard to associate your own wife as a lover and not a mother after the childbirth – and who wants to have sex with mothers?)

· Anaemia – after too heavy period (in women) or after bleeding (in men)

· Hormone abnormalities (for example low testosterone level)

· Depression – when depressed you want nothing, including sex

· Stress and overwork (also fear and anxiety in women)

· Hang-ups from childhood

· Past sexual abuse or rap – in women and in men is a deeply traumatic experience and may lead to fear and avoidance of sexual experiences later in life

· Latent lesbianism or homosexuality

· Serious relationship problems with your partner

· Difficult living conditions – lack of money or absence of good apartment (or even separate room)

Medical Approaches

For MEN there are no medicines available that will increase male libido, there are only for successful erection - drugs for erectile dysfunction

All these drugs contain different active ingredients that enhance the actions of the chemical messengers responsible for producing an erection and thus ‘produce’ the erection

· Cialis – contains an active ingredient tadalafil (works for 36 hours after dose)

· Levitra – contains vardenafil (works 4-5 hours)

· Viagra – contains sildenafil (works 3-4 hours)

These drugs increase blood flow into the penis and cause an erection.

· MUSE - is administered by application into the opening at the end of the penisor used as a penis injection (30 minutes or one hour result)

· Caverject or Viridal Duo- is administered by injection directly into the penis (into the opening at the end of the penis (urethra)) (effect lasts one hour)

What mechanical aids could be done?

· Vacuum pump – is helps the blood be drawn more effectively into the penis

· Construction ring – the same principle

· Semi-rigid (or inflatable ) penile prosthesis - surgery to insert flexible rods (or two cylinders, with a pump and fluid reservoir in the scrotum) into the shaft of the penis

· Arterial surgery – surgery to repair an injury or blockage to the arteries going to the penis

If you are a WOMAN the following drugs can be useful for you:

· Hormones (particularly the male sex hormone testosterone) - Testosterone is one key player in your sex drive: it affects interest, arousal, sexual response, lubrication and orgasm

· Eros or any other inexpensive suction (as well as non-suction) vibrator – it is really hard to decline the result

· Desire cream – it contains an active ingredient that produces a tingly sensation in the clitoris

· Erection drugs - they may have a beneficial 'local' effect in increasing blood flow to the vagina and clitoris  (or sometimes lubrication) for a few hours

Sex therapist may also help. Talking about sex and doing your daily ‘homework’ very often helps. 

Alternative Approaches

As well as with medical approaches you should consult your doctor first and try to identify the reason (the root of the problem). The following herbs can help you in increasing you sex drive:

· Jasmine – in candles, in tea, or in oil (do a massage)

· Geranium - candles, bath oil, incense or as a pillow linen spray – it stimulates adrenalins in the body which in turn stimulate the libdo

· Cardamom - increases energy, relieves fatigue and helps with depression

· Grapefruit – nice aphrodisiac

· Clove – also an aphrodisiac that somehow heats up the body

· Fenugreek (mainly for women) – has an estrogenic effect, increases libido and minimizes vaginal dryness

· Tribulus Terrestris – contains an active ingredient steroidal saponins (also including furostanol glycosides and spirostanol glycosides), used for infertility, low libido erectile dysfunction and to icrease stamina and improve sports performance. It boosts testosterone and increase libido and staimina

· Ashwagandha root (Indian Winter Cherry) - enhances libido

· Catuba bark - is considered to have aphrodisiac properties; and is used for nervousness, poor memory, and helping with sexual weakness

· Mucuna Pruriens – besides antioxidant properties it contains L-Dopa which is used by the body to make dopamine, an important brain chemical involved in mood and sexuality

· Yohimbe bark - supports of erectile function in men and provides sensation and engorgement of genital organs in women

· Marapama bark (and root) - used for the treatment of low libido, fatigue, neuromuscular problems, and rheumatism

· Pine Nuts - maintain male potency (as contains plenty of zinc)

· Rhizome root - influences sexual activity and in turn helps with increasing libido levels

· Fennel – contains an estrogen-like substance (estirol) that turns out libido

· Hawthorn – improves circulation to extremities (genitalia as well) and promotes movement of hormones in blood

Some kind of food also arouses your sexual desire. Ginger can sharpen your mind so you can focus on making love. Garlic enhances sex drive to enormous level (but don’t forget to eat it both). Different spicy foods heat up the desires; and of course – chocolate – gives plenty of pleasure (sex is not now necessary for some women) as it releases in the brain positive emotions such as falling in love and increases feeling of happiness.

Don’t forget about useful sex exercise both for men and women - Kegal exercises that enhances sexual gratification, spend more time on foreplay before sex and remember – sex is not an intercourse, this is the ‘intimacy’ between the couple: touching, kissing, holding and other ‘petting-like’ things.