Treatment of Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder

Management of hypoactive sexual desire disorder in females may include:

1.   Addressing certain medical conditions.

Low sexual desire suggests the need for screening for endocrine disorders, chronic illness, or long-term medication use. Please consult your doctor to rule out any medical conditions and prior to stopping or changing any of your medications.

2.   Drug Treatment. Please consult your doctor for a proper medical assessment and advice.

• The use of testosterone appears to have a direct role in sexual desire and has been shown to increase desire, but its long-term use is limited by potential side effects, including cardiovascular and liver dysfunction. Clinical evaluations and applications are limited and no guidelines for testosterone replacement therapy for women with disorders of desire and no consensus of "normal" or "therapeutic" levels of testosterone therapy exist.
• Antidepressants may help depression-related low desire, although many of these medications decrease sexual desire, at least initially.
• In peri- and postmenopausal women, the relationship between hormones and sexuality is unclear. Nonetheless, estrogens replacement therapy has been shown to correlate positively with sexual activity, enjoyment and fantasies. The mechanism of estrogens effect on desire is probably indirect and occurs through improvement in urogenital atrophy, vasomotor symptoms and menopausal mood disorders (i.e., depression).

3.   Sex Therapy/Counselling

When no causative medical disorder is found, individual or couples therapy is often recommended.

Sexual Health Australia is a confidential counselling service, specialised in sexual health and relationship issues. We have experienced sex therapists and relationship counsellors who offer counselling and support for women with hypoactive sexual desire disorder and their partners.

We offer individual and/or couple's counselling. Face to face counselling is offered in Sydney CBD and phone counselling is offered nationally. 

Sexual Health Australia also recognizes that when in a relationship there may be a difference between two partners in their level of sexual desire, which does not necessarily mean that the partner with the lower level of sexual desire has Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder. We tend to refer to it as Miss Matched Libidos.

Sex therapy/counselling for hypoactive sexual desire disorder or miss matched libidos may include some of the following:

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
• Anxiety reduction/desensitization
• Psychoeducation
• Enhancing communication
• Promoting sexual intimacy
• Addressing fears, conflict and anger
• Behavioural assignments/homework exercises

If you wish to make an appointment with one of our friendly counsellors or require further information, please don't hesitate to contact us at:

info@sexualhealthaustralia.com.au

For more information about our counselling sessions/appointment fees, please click here.