If you need medication, doctors may consider prescribing:
1. Estrogen skin creams, which can help if vaginal dryness makes sex painful. This typically happens when estrogen levels fall due to menopause or breastfeeding. Estrogen also comes in other forms, such as a tablet or skin patch.
2. ED drugs. Doctors occasionally prescribe erectile dysfunction drugs to women who have difficulty becoming aroused or reaching orgasm. These drugs boost blood flow to the genitals. But they are not likely to help someone who has a lack of desire or who can’t have an orgasm. Women who have been through menopause may need to take supplemental testosterone for an ED drug to be effective.
3. Testosterone and other androgens decline as women age. These hormones may play a role in sexual function in women just like they do in men. In women with low libido just before, during, or after menopause, or in women who’ve had surgery to remove their ovaries, some experts suggest the use of testosterone treatment. However, there are side effects, and long-term safety studies of testosterone treatment for women are lacking.
4. Wellbutrin, an antidepressant, may be prescribed to treat low sex drive in women who haven’t been through menopause or if other antidepressants have affected their sex drive.
Every woman is different. It may take some experimenting to find what works for you. Some supplements claim to boost women’s libido, but many lack scientific proof.
Supplements that include an ingredient that acts like estrogen, such as red clover, might not be safe if you’re at risk for, or have had, an estrogen-sensitive cancer like some breast cancers or ovarian cancer.
Tell your doctor about any supplements you’re taking, even if they’re natural. That way, your doctor can check on any side effects.
How Women Can Boost Their Sexual Desire was originally published on blackdoctor.org
