Understanding Libido (Sexual Desire)

Sexual desire commonly known as ‘Libido’. It is the subjective feeling, thoughts or fantasies characterised by interest or drive to seek out for sexual activity or receptive to a sexual activity According to the famous Psychiatrist and Sexologist Stephen B Levine, sexual desire is a multidimensional phenomenon.

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Dr Shilpa Patwardhan MBBS, MD (Psychiatry)

Question: What exactly do we mean by “sexual desire,” and how is it different from arousal?

Ans: It is a result of interaction of drive, motivational process and wish

- Drive is the biological urge. It is mainly regulated by brain structures, hormones

- Motivation is psychological willingness to engage in sexual behavior. It is highly influenced by emotions, relationship factors, cultural beliefs, past experiences and stress levels etc

- Wish is the cognitive or fantasy component. It involves sexual thoughts, fantasies, curiosity Sexual arousal is the physiological and or psychological excitement that occurs in response to sexual stimulation. It can involve changes in the genital (penile erection in male/vaginal lubrication in females), some physiological changes like increased heart rate, subjective feeling of readiness, and sensitivity to touch.

Thus sexual desire is interest or motivation to be involved in a sexual activity; While sexual arousal is the body's response for getting ready.

Question: Is there any difference observed in sexual desire in males and females

Ans: There are some differences observed in males and females in terms of sexual desire.

• The hormone testosterone influences desire in both the genders. The average testosterone levels are higher in males which partly explains higher spontaneous desire in male. Females experience more hormonal fluctuations (menstrual cycle, pregnancy, menopause) which can influence variability in sexual desire.

• As compared to males, female sexual desire is more affected by psychological (motivational factors) such as relationship quality, stress, emotional factors or environmental factors like privacy