Libido

Samantha Plogger **Libido** **History:**

Libido is a term used to describe sexual drive, instinct, desire, and impulse. The term libido was coined by psychoanalyst, Sigmund Freud. Freud believed that this was the most powerful human drive and that the development of libido occurred through a series of stages beginning in infancy and changing through adulthood (Discovery Health, 2002). Furthermore, many factors contribute to the increasing and decreasing of libido. Marcela Gonzalez and colleagues describe it as a result of the interaction of biological, psychological, physiological, cultural and social aspects (2004).

**Influences on libido: ** For women, age, level of education, the lack or presence of a sexual partner, and the women (Gonzalez et al., 2004). Freud described libido as a gradual buildup to a peak of intensity, which is often followed by a sudden decrease in excitement (Discovery Health, 2002).

**Biological influence:** Androgens are defined as the hormone responsible for typical male sexual characteristics. Androgens are often referred to as the “libido hormone” for both men and women (Graziottin, 2000). Testosterone is an androgen that is most responsible for libido in both men and women (Graziottin, 2000). Men produce testosterone in the testes and women produce testosterone in the ovaries (Davis &Tran, 2001). The level of circulating testosterone is directly correlated to the amount of sexual desire (Kane et. al, 1969). In women, the circulating level of testosterone decreases with age, which is the reason that women often have decreasing sexual desires with age (Davis & Tran, 2001). There is sufficient evidence that replacing such androgens in women experiencing low sexual desire increases their libido (Davis &Tran, 2001). Arousal disorders, dyspareunia, orgasmic difficulties, and dissatisfaction both physical and emotional may also contribute to loss in libido (Gonzalez et al. 2004). Although testosterone does not decrease a significant amount at the exact time of menopause, menopause often represents a critical turning point in libido for women (Kane et al. 1969).

**Psychological influences:** We learn to feel sexual drive at certain times and in certain situations, which often dominates individual’s sexual behavior (Graziottin, 2000). Other psychological factors associated with libido are state of health, duration of relationship, presence of children, and m  arital satisfaction contributed to libido (Gonzalez et al., 2004). Furthermore chronic stress, anxiety, and depression often contribute to a diminishing libido (Gonzalez et al., 2004). Freud claims that these influences first emerge during late childhood and are influenced by parents. He classified these three components as the id, the ego, and the superego. He stated that the id provides the energy to initiate activities, the ego directs the usual fulfillment of libidinous in socially acceptable and achievable ways, and that the superego is the learned internalized social standards of  behavior. Freud explained that he believed that personality is established early on in life and is determined by the ways in which basic drives, such as libido, are satisfied (Discovery Health, 2002).

**Sensory organ influences:** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sensory organs are well known windows for sexual stimuli. Sensory organs “transmit the basic information that, mixed with emotional and affective messages, contributes to the structuring of core sex identity and self image, so releva for the personal perction of being an “object of desire” and for the direction of the libido itself,” (Graziottin, 2000). Touch, taste, and smell are the most prevalent sensory organs that contribute to influencing libido.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">**Taste:** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Increased salivating during sexual desire and the pleasure for taste of skin is a strong predictive factor of the quality of sexual linking (Graziottin, 2000). <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">**Touch:** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Skin touch is the strongest bonding factor to satisfy the desires surrounding sex and love (Graziottin, 2000). The sensory and emotional side of libido is highly correlated in the quality of kinesthetic bonding between mother and child. In early infancy, Freud explains, sexual drive is focused on the mouth. Then, during the child’s second and third year of life, the child is beginning to learn how to use the toilet, which at this point, they become pleasured by rectal functions (Discovery Health, 2002). <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">**Hearing:** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hearing, as an influence on libido, is mainly prevalent to women because of the emotional attraction caused by the vibration of the voice (Graziottin, 2000). <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">**Vision:** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Men are most aroused by what they see, but women’s libido is not as highly correlated to arousing visuals (Graziottin, 2000).

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">**Genital responsiveness as an influence:** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Physical pleasure greatly enhances libido. There is almost a linear correlation between clitoral sensitivity, the ability to be turned on, and the orgasmic capacity (Davis and Tran, 2001).

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 18pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">**Menopausal Changes in Libido:** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Lack of estrogens deprives the brain and all the female body of the natural lymph that contributes to the perception of the female sex identity, of a satisfying sexual function and to the sensuality and seductivity that improves the quality of sexual relationships, causing a progressive loss of libido and a crisis of the self perception as an object of desire” (Graziottin, 2000). The mean concentration of testosterone in women going through menopause is significantly less than women that are in the fifth through seventh day of their cycle, which helps account for the fact that menopausal women have a decreased sex drive (Davis and Tran, 2001). While estrogen is not a key contributing factor to sexual desire, the lack thereof is often responsible for vaginal dryness, which is often associated with negative sexual experiences, which also cause a decreased sex drive (Kane et al. 1968). Postmenopausal women that undergo testosterone replacement report increased libido, which include the presence of increased genital sensitivity, especially of the clitoris (Kane et al. 1968). <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 18pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">**Communicating libido deficiencies:** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Many problems and concerns surrounding libido are reported during gyneocological consultation, but are more likely to be reported when the clinician is willing to listen and to see the patient as a person that is emotionally suffering. Maintaining such a type of patient-provider communication would enable physicians to diagnose and treat properly the biological conditions related to sexual health and could encourage patients to consult them regarding their problems.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">References: <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Davis, Susan R. & Jane Tran. (2001). “Testosterone influences libido and well being in women.” <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">//TRENDS in Endocrinology & Metabolism.// <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">12, 1. Retrieved from: http://tern.trends.com. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Libido”. (2002). <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">//Discovery Health.// <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Retrieved from: http://healthguide.howstuffworks.com/libido-dictionary1.htm/printable. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Gonzalez, Marcela, Gloria Viafara, Fresia Caba, Temistocles Molina, and Carlos Ortiz. (2004). “Libido and orgasm in middle-aged women.” <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">//Maturitas: the European Menopause Journal.// <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">53. Retrieved from: www.sciencedirect.com. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Graziottin, Alessandra. (2000). “Libido: the biologic scenario.” <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">//Matruitas: the European Menopause Jounal.// <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">34. Retrieved from: www.elsevier.com/locate/maturitas. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Kane, Francis J., Morris A. Lipton, & John Ewing. (1969). “Hormonal Influences in Female Sexual Response.” <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">//Arch Gen Psychiat.// <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">20. Retrieved from: www.archgenpsyciatry.com.