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Lost Your Drive? Low Libido Is Often a Hormone Problem — Not Just Stress.

A drop in sex drive gets chalked up to stress, relationships, or aging more often than it gets properly tested. It affects both men and women, and it's frequently hormonal.

Reviewed by Dr. Justin Abbott, D.O. — ABFM Board-Certified Physician
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What's Behind It

What's Actually Behind Low Libido

Low libido has several common physiological causes: low testosterone (which matters for both men and women), estrogen and progesterone imbalance, thyroid dysfunction, certain medications, and chronically elevated cortisol from ongoing stress.

Because sex drive is influenced by so many overlapping factors — hormonal, physical, and emotional — it's easy for the physiological piece to get overlooked entirely, especially when appointments don't leave room for the conversation.

Common Signs of Low Libido

Noticeably reduced interest in sex
Difficulty with arousal
Low energy or motivation overall
Mood changes alongside the drop in drive
Strain in relationships tied to mismatched desire
Symptoms alongside other hormone changes (fatigue, weight changes, sleep issues)
How We Approach It

Testing the Hormones Behind It

We run a full hormone panel — testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, and thyroid — for both men and women, since low libido is frequently connected to measurable, treatable hormone levels.

Physician Insight

"Low libido gets treated as a relationship problem or a mood problem long before anyone checks the hormones. Sometimes it is one of those things — but often the labs explain a lot more than a conversation alone ever could."

Related Conditions

Often connected to low libido: low testosterone, perimenopause, and erectile dysfunction. For a closer look by gender, see low libido in men or low libido in women. What’s actually behind low libido → 15 signs your hormones may be off →

What Patients Say
Common Questions

Low Libido FAQs

What patients ask most before their first appointment.

Yes. Testosterone plays a role in libido for both men and women, even though levels are naturally much lower in women. A full hormone panel looks at testosterone alongside estrogen and progesterone rather than assuming it's a male-only issue.
We start with a full hormone panel — testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, and thyroid — along with a conversation about your symptoms, timeline, and any medications that could be contributing.
For many patients, yes, when hormone imbalance is a contributing factor. Results vary by individual, and your provider will set realistic expectations based on your specific labs at your consultation.
Get Started

Find Out What Your Hormones Are Actually Doing.

A full hormone panel, and a real conversation with Dr. Abbott.