Low libido
A persistent drop in sexual desire that bothers you. Usually driven by a mix of psychological, relationship, medication and lifestyle factors — but a treatable hormonal or metabolic cause (low testosterone, thyroid disease, high prolactin, menopause) is worth screening when it is new or unexplained.
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What it means
Libido is shaped by hormones, mood, sleep, stress, relationship context, medications and general health, so low desire is usually multifactorial rather than a single 'deficiency'. Still, several medical causes are worth excluding because they are treatable: in men, low testosterone; in women, the estrogen fall of menopause and its vaginal effects; in both sexes, thyroid disease, high prolactin, poorly controlled diabetes, chronic illness, depression, and — very commonly — medications, especially SSRI antidepressants, beta-blockers, opioids and some contraceptives. Alcohol, chronic sleep loss and stress are frequent contributors. The value of a lab screen is to catch the hormonal and metabolic causes that respond to specific treatment, rather than to reduce a complex experience to one number.
Common causes
- Psychological / relationship — stress, depression, anxiety, relationship difficulties; very common.
- Medications — SSRI/SNRI antidepressants, beta-blockers, opioids, finasteride, some hormonal contraceptives.
- Low testosterone (men) — with fatigue, erectile difficulty, low mood.
- Menopause (women) — estrogen fall, vaginal dryness, discomfort.
- Thyroid disease — both under- and over-active.
- High prolactin — suppresses sex hormones; may cause nipple discharge.
- Chronic illness / poorly controlled diabetes.
- Lifestyle — alcohol, chronic sleep deprivation, exhaustion.
Lab work-up approach
A focused screen when low libido is new or unexplained: TSH (thyroid), prolactin (pituitary), and sex hormones matched to the person — total testosterone with SHBG in men (drawn in the morning), and, in women around midlife, FSH and estradiol to assess menopausal status. Add fasting glucose/HbA1c if diabetes is a possibility and the picture fits. A medication review is often more revealing than any blood test. Mediora.AI surfaces the thyroid, prolactin and sex-hormone pattern from your results so a treatable cause isn't missed; the overall assessment, including the psychological and relationship dimension, belongs with your doctor.
Tests Mediora.AI can interpret
Related conditions
When to see a doctor
See a doctor if reduced desire is persistent, distressing, or came with other symptoms — fatigue, erectile difficulty, hot flushes, mood change, or nipple discharge. In men, low libido plus tiredness and erectile difficulty is worth a morning testosterone. In women around midlife, it often reflects menopause and is treatable. Review any new medication, especially antidepressants, that coincided with the change — don't stop them yourself, but raise it with your prescriber. Mediora.AI helps screen the hormonal contributors; a low libido is best understood in the round, with your doctor.