What Causes a Low Sex Drive?

A low sex drive rarely has a single cause. More often it is the result of several things overlapping, from hormones and health to stress, mood, relationships and lifestyle. Common contributors include tiredness and poor sleep, ongoing stress or anxiety, low mood or depression, hormonal changes, certain medications, relationship difficulties and drinking too much alcohol. Because so many factors can play a part, a dip in desire is very common and usually understandable once you look at the whole picture. The encouraging news is that many causes are treatable or reversible.

This guide sets out the main causes of a low sex drive and where to look for help. This guide is general information and not medical advice, so please speak to a doctor about any personal concern. For a step-by-step approach to rebuilding desire, see our guide on How to Get Your Sex Drive Back.

The Main Causes

It helps to group the common causes, since they tend to fall into a few areas. The table below sets them out.

Often more than one of these is at work together. Our guides on Low Sex Drive in Women and Low Sex Drive in Men look at causes specific to each.

How Common Are the Different Causes?

The chart below gives a rough sense of how often different areas contribute to low desire, based on how commonly they are reported. Treat it as a general picture rather than a precise measure, since every person is different.

Lifestyle and Emotional Causes

For many people, the biggest factors are everyday ones. Chronic stress raises levels of stress hormones that dampen desire, while poor sleep leaves little energy for intimacy. Low mood, anxiety and depression very commonly reduce libido, both directly and through their effect on confidence and connection. Drinking too much alcohol, a lack of exercise and simply being overstretched all take a toll as well. The good part is that these are often the most changeable causes. Our guide on How to Increase Sex Drive Naturally covers lifestyle approaches.

Hormones, Health and Medication

Physical causes matter too. Hormonal changes such as low testosterone, the menopause or thyroid problems can lower desire, as can long-term health conditions, chronic pain and fatigue. Some medications are known to affect libido, including certain antidepressants and some forms of hormonal contraception. It is important never to stop or change a prescribed medicine on your own but a doctor can review whether a medication might be contributing and discuss alternatives. Our guides on Testosterone and Sex Drive and Antidepressants and Sex Drive explore these areas.

The Role of Relationships

Relationship factors are among the most common yet most overlooked causes of low desire. Unresolved conflict, a loss of emotional closeness, resentment or simply the routine of a long relationship can all quietly reduce interest in sex. Sometimes the issue is not the relationship itself but external pressures, such as work stress or caring responsibilities, spilling into it. Desire tends to thrive on connection, novelty and feeling wanted, so when those fade, libido often does too.

The encouraging side is that relationship-related dips often respond well to attention. Open communication, spending quality time together, rebuilding intimacy without pressure and, where needed, couples or psychosexual therapy can all help. It is worth remembering that a mismatch in desire between partners is common and does not mean anything is wrong with either person. Our guide on How to Get Your Sex Drive Back covers rebuilding desire, including the relational side.

Browse the complete Sex Drive and Libido Guides library for clear, supportive guidance on sex drive.

When to Seek Help

A short-term dip in desire is usually nothing to worry about and often lifts as life settles. It is worth speaking to a doctor if a low sex drive is persistent, distressing, a clear change from your normal or comes with other symptoms such as fatigue, low mood or physical problems. A doctor can check for physical causes, review any medications and, where helpful, refer you for further support such as psychosexual therapy. Seeking help is sensible and common and low libido is frequently treatable once the cause is understood. This guide is general information and not medical advice, so please speak to a doctor about any personal concern.

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The Short Answer

A low sex drive usually has several overlapping causes, from stress, tiredness, low mood and relationship issues to hormones, health conditions, alcohol and certain medications. Many are changeable or treatable. A short dip is common but a persistent, distressing change from your normal is worth discussing with a doctor, who can identify the cause and suggest options.