A lack of libido is different from erectile dysfunction (ED) and revolves around the absence or a major reduction in sexual desire. Men with ED desire sex but have issues achieving or maintaining their erections, while men lacking libido men have little or no interest in having sex. There are, of course, men who experience both issues at the same time.
Problems with a lack of sexual desire often have psychological, physical and medicated causes, and there are also hormonal and chemical reasons for lack of libido (see erectile dysfunction). Three of the PFPs are most likely to experience a lack of libido:
Low testosterone and lack of libido
Testosterone is produced by Leydig cells in the testes, and the hormone stimulates sperm production and sex drive. Normal testosterone levels for adult men are over 300 ng/dL, and libido drops in response to lower testosterone, which can happen due to a variety of reasons:
- Testosterone levels naturally fall with age, so teenage boys have the highest levels (unsurprisingly!) and male testosterone drops by about 1% a year from about 25
- Exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDC) in the womb reduces the number of Leydig cells in the testes. The outcome is lower testosterone levels and sperm production in modern men
- Exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDC) as an adult also reduces testosterone production and libido
Testosterone gels and supplements are available from medics, and a range of herbal supplements stimulate the testes to increase testosterone production. Higher testosterone levels increase libido, improve mood and reduce abdominal fat.
Medications and lack of libido
A wide variety of medications reduce libido, including:
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- Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants like Prozac
- Tricyclic antidepressants such as Elavil
- Anti-anxiety Benzodiazepines such as Xanax
- Benign prostate hyperplasia drugs (e.g. Proscar)
- Hair-loss drugs, including Propecia
- Antihistamines, especially diphenhydramine (Benadryl) and chlorpheniramine (Chlor-Trimeton)
- Anti-epileptic drugs such as Tegretol
- Anabolic steroids
- Opioids such as Vicodin, OxyContin, and Percocet
- Beta-blockers such as Propranolol and Metoprolol
- Calcium channel blockers (a heart medication)
- ACE Inhibitors
- Anti-arrhythmics (Disopyramide)
- Parkinson’s disease medications
- Antifungal medications like Ketoconazole
- Heartburn and reflux medication Cimetidine (Tagamet)
- Statins
- Marijuana
- Cocaine
- Chemotherapy and radiation drugs
Chronic illnesses tend to reduce sexual desire, especially:
- Chronic pain
- Type II diabetes
- Obesity
- Hypertension
- High cholesterol
- Metabolic syndrome
- Chronic organ failure (heart, lung, kidney and liver)
Psychogenic causes
These are problems with men’s emotional engagement with their sexuality and sex, and when this happens, the symptoms usually arrive suddenly, and a diagnosis usually involves:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Partner-related difficulties
Psychogenic risk factors include:
- Exposure to episodes of stress (acute or chronic)
- Dysfunctional lifestyles
- Dysfunctional relationship patterns, including pornography and masturbation
- Anxiety, mood and personality disorders
- Neurotic or submissive temperamental traits
The impact of the psyche on sexual desire and performance is significant. An interesting example is that men’s perception of their genital appearance can cause ED, and in a study of young (under 40) presumably fit and healthy military personnel found over 30% had sexual anxiety.
Porn is widely available, graphic and often disturbing. Many young men watch it, and it affects their psyche, distorting their perception of what’s normal and raising the levels of what arouses them. The evidence is that watching porn is a powerful driver of sexual dysfunction in young men.
Porn and sexuality
- The more a man watches porn, the more likely he is to have ED
- The more he watches porn, the worse his ED is likely to be
Teenagers and young men often develop concepts of sexual relationships independently of real-life experiences, becoming dulled to increasingly graphic material and unable to get aroused by typical sexual experiences. The sexual dysfunction rates in young men are traditionally around 2-3%, but currently:
- ED affects 27-33% of teens to 40-year-old men
- Low libido affects 16% of teens to 25-year-olds and 37% of 25-40-year-old men
Most boys in their early teens watch pornography, and the male human brain doesn’t fully develop until about 25, and there’s genuine concern that graphic porn could be changing brain development on a fundamental level. Even without fundamental changes to the brain, watching porn is a bit like going to the gym and training next to an Olympic athlete (on performance drugs). The chances of feeling good about your body and sexual ability are low!!
Some of the behaviours that come with psychogenic causes drive the organic causes of low libido and excessive masturbation is a significant issue as:
- It’s associated with feelings of guilt for many men
- Causes the loss of precious genetic material
- It’s linked to higher rates of ED in scientific studies
PFPs and lack of libido
| PFPs | Background | Symptoms |
| Energy | Men in this situation are often older and usually exhausted by over-work, poor diet and a lack of sleep
They may have abused recreational (or prescription) drugs and be stressed and overweight (which engages Flow and Fluids PFP dynamics) |
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| Energy and Cold | Men in this situation are typically physically and emotionally exhausted
They’re struggling to engage with life, and sex is a hurdle too far Another issue is too much porn may be causing disengagement between the heart and the groin. Research shows watching porn at a young age alters neural signalling in the brain, making stimulation more difficult to achieve |
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| Flow | Flow PFP men can experience depression and a lack of engagement in life. When one’s desires are blocked, or there’s no path in life, the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) becomes unbalanced, which then disrupts hormonal and sexual wellbeing |
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