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.
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
Panels to consider
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.