If your sex drive has quietly dropped off and you have found yourself thinking “where did my libido go?”, you are not alone. Low libido becomes far more likely from your forties onwards. The good news is that for most women it is not permanent, and the causes are usually things you can influence.
This guide focuses on how to increase libido in women, with a particular eye on the hormonal years of perimenopause and menopause when sex drive most often takes a knock. We will walk through why it happens, what the research actually shows, and the diet, lifestyle and supplement changes that give you the best chance of getting it back.
What low libido in women actually means
Low libido is a lack of, or a noticeable drop in, sexual desire. When that loss is persistent and it causes you personal distress, doctors have a name for it: hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD), now often grouped under Female Sexual Interest and Arousal Disorder. The key word is distress. If you are perfectly happy with a lower sex drive, it is not a problem that needs fixing. It only becomes something worth acting on when it bothers you, gets in the way of a relationship you value, or feels like a change from your normal.
QUICK DEFINITION
Libido is your baseline interest in sex. Arousal is your body's physical response once interest is there. The two are linked but separate, which is why you can want sex but struggle to become aroused, or become aroused without much desire in the first place. Working out which one has changed helps you target the right fix.
How common is low libido in women?
Low sexual desire is one of the most frequently reported sexual concerns in women, and its likelihood rises sharply in midlife. In the Australian Women's Midlife Years study, a nationally representative survey of 8,096 women aged 40 to 69 published in The Lancet in 2025, low sexual desire (13.3%) and impaired arousal (13.1%) were the two most common sexual difficulties reported. Crucially, the researchers found that desire and arousal problems roughly doubled in early perimenopause compared with women who were still premenopausal, marking that stage as a genuine turning point for many women.
Low libido by life stage
Here is roughly how the picture changes as you move through the menopause transition, drawn from population research. Individual experience varies widely, so treat these as signposts rather than a verdict on you personally.
| LIFE STAGE | WHAT TENDS TO HAPPEN TO LIBIDO | HOW COMMON LOW DESIRE IS |
|---|---|---|
| Premenopause (under ~45) | Usually stable, shaped by monthly hormone cycles | Around 1 in 4 report low desire |
| Early perimenopause | Desire and arousal problems roughly double | A vulnerable turning point |
| Late perimenopause | Steepest decline for many women | Highest distress reported |
| Postmenopause | Often low but can stabilise or recover | Around half report low desire |
The single most important message here is that a dip in sex drive around your mid-forties is normal and expected, not a personal failing. The Seattle Midlife Women's Health Study, a long-running study that followed women through the menopause transition, found the sharpest fall in sexual desire happened in the window from about three years before to two years after the final period. Knowing the pattern makes it far easier to act early rather than assume it is simply the end of the road.
Hormones, perimenopause and menopause
Hormones take most of the blame for a lost libido, and for good reason. Three sex hormones do the heavy lifting: oestrogen, testosterone and progesterone. Think back to when your sex drive was at its peak, usually your teens and twenties, when hormone production was running at full tilt. As you get older, and especially as you move through perimenopause, those levels fall and fluctuate, and desire often falls with them.
Perimenopause and sex drive
Perimenopause is the run-up to menopause, usually starting in your mid-forties and lasting anywhere from four to ten years. During this time your hormones do not simply decline in a smooth line, they swing up and down unpredictably. Those swings trigger the familiar symptoms of hot flushes, disrupted sleep, mood changes and irregular periods, and any one of them can quietly flatten your interest in sex.
Falling oestrogen is the key driver behind reduced perimenopause sex drive. Oestrogen keeps the vaginal tissues thick, elastic and lubricated and maintains blood flow to the genital area. As it drops you may notice vaginal dryness and discomfort during sex, and pain is a powerful brake on desire. This is why perimenopause loss of libido so often shows up alongside dryness rather than on its own.
WORTH KNOWING
A small number of women actually notice an increased libido in perimenopause. When oestrogen and progesterone fall faster than testosterone, the relative effect of testosterone can become more noticeable for a while, nudging desire up rather than down. Both directions are normal.
Menopause and loss of libido
Once you reach menopause, defined as twelve months with no period, oestrogen and testosterone settle at persistently lower levels. Population data suggest that low sexual desire affects roughly 40 to 55% of women around menopause, with vaginal dryness affecting about a quarter and painful sex affecting a sizeable share too. Research in the Journal of Women's Health found that women with more troublesome menopause symptoms overall were more likely to report a lower libido, which fits what most women describe: the worse the hot flushes, sleep loss and mood dips, the harder it is to feel like sex.
Does progesterone increase libido?
This is a common question and the honest answer is: not directly, in most cases. Progesterone is used in HRT mainly to protect the womb lining when you take oestrogen, rather than to boost desire. Some women say micronised progesterone helps them sleep and feel calmer, which can indirectly free up energy and interest in sex, but progesterone itself is not a recognised libido booster. The hormone most tightly linked to female desire is testosterone, not progesterone or oestrogen alone.
Does HRT increase sex drive?
For many women the answer is yes, but usually indirectly. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) replaces the oestrogen your body is no longer making, and sometimes progesterone alongside it. By easing hot flushes, improving sleep and, in particular, treating vaginal dryness, HRT removes several of the biggest barriers standing between you and your sex drive. When sex stops being uncomfortable and you are sleeping better, desire often follows.
Does HRT help with libido directly?
Standard oestrogen-based HRT tends to help libido mostly by fixing the physical symptoms that get in the way, rather than by switching desire back on at the source. The hormone most directly tied to sexual desire is testosterone. Some menopause specialists prescribe low-dose testosterone off-label for women whose low desire persists after oestrogen has been optimised, and it can make a real difference for a subset of women. Testosterone for women is only started after a proper assessment, and levels are monitored, so this is firmly a conversation to have with your GP or a menopause clinic.
IMPORTANT
HRT and testosterone are prescription treatments, not something to self-medicate. If low libido is affecting you and you think hormones may be involved, speak to your GP or a menopause specialist. This guide is educational and is not a substitute for personalised medical advice.
What about prescription libido medicines?
Two medicines are licensed in some countries specifically for low sexual desire in premenopausal women: flibanserin (a daily tablet) and bremelanotide (an injection used before sex). They work on brain chemistry rather than hormones. Availability and licensing vary, and they are not suitable for everyone, so again this is a discussion for a clinician rather than a first port of call.
The other causes of loss of libido
Hormones are only part of the story. Your libido sits at the crossroads of your physical health, your mental health and your relationship, so when one of those is under strain your sex drive is often the first thing to quietly switch off. If you have tried a supplement and felt no difference, one of the factors below is often the real culprit.
Stress and cortisol
Chronic stress is one of the most underrated libido killers. When you are stressed your body pumps out cortisol, and research has shown that women who produce a spike of cortisol in response to sexual cues tend to score lower on the desire, arousal and satisfaction parts of the standard Female Sexual Function Index. Put simply, a body braced for threat is not a body in the mood for sex.
Sleep and exhaustion
Tiredness and desire are directly linked. Research in the Journal of Sexual Medicine found that just one extra hour of sleep was associated with a 14% higher likelihood of sexual activity with a partner the next day, and better genital arousal too. If perimenopause is wrecking your sleep, that alone can explain a flat libido.
Mood, medication and health conditions
Low libido is a recognised symptom of depression, and several long-term conditions can dampen desire, including an underactive thyroid, diabetes and heart disease. Some medicines are common culprits too, particularly SSRI antidepressants and certain hormonal contraceptives. If your sex drive dropped soon after starting a new medication, mention it to your GP or pharmacist, as there may be an alternative.
Relationship and life factors
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Relationship strain, from poor communication to loss of attraction or simple over-familiarity with a long-term partner
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Overwork and chronic busyness, which leave no mental space for desire to surface
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Alcohol and recreational drugs, both linked to reduced libido
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Pregnancy and breastfeeding, where hormones, exhaustion and body changes all play a part
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Body image and self-esteem, which shift for many women during the menopause transition
THE TAKEAWAY
If you are generally healthy, well rested and unstressed, you are far more likely to have an active sex drive. Sorting out sleep, stress and any medication issues first often does more for your libido than any single supplement, and it makes the supplements that follow work better too.
Food, nutrients and aphrodisiac foods
What you eat matters, because nutritional gaps can quietly flatten your sex drive. A varied, balanced diet is the foundation, but a handful of nutrients are especially worth getting right if libido is a concern. Deficiencies in these are common and easy to miss.
The nutrients that support a healthy libido
| NUTRIENT | WHY IT MATTERS FOR LIBIDO | WHERE TO FIND IT |
|---|---|---|
| Vitamin D | Supports healthy testosterone and mood; deficiency is very common in the UK | Sunlight, oily fish, supplements |
| Omega-3 | Supports dopamine and blood flow; helps mucous-membrane moisture | Oily fish, fish oil, algae |
| Zinc | Involved in sex-hormone production and testosterone regulation | Shellfish, meat, seeds, pulses |
| Magnesium | Helps regulate stress, cortisol and sleep quality | Leafy greens, nuts, wholegrains |
| Iron | Low iron causes fatigue that saps desire; common in menstruating women | Red meat, pulses, dark greens |
| Vitamin B12 | Supports energy and nerve function; low levels cause tiredness | Meat, dairy, fortified foods |
Omega fatty acids are a good example of how this works in practice. They help raise levels of dopamine, a brain chemical involved in arousal and reward, and they help maintain moisture in mucous membranes, which is welcome news if perimenopausal or menopausal dryness is part of your picture. A quality omega 3 fish oil is one of the simplest additions to make. If your diet or blood tests suggest you are short on vitamin D, iron or vitamin B12, correcting those gaps can lift the fatigue that so often sits behind a low sex drive.
Do aphrodisiac foods actually work?
Classic aphrodisiac foods like chocolate and oysters are fun, but the evidence they directly boost desire is thin. That said, a couple of small studies are intriguing: one found that eating an apple a day was linked to better sexual function in young women, and another reported that a daily glass of pomegranate juice raised testosterone levels in both men and women. Treat these as tasty extras rather than a strategy! The bigger wins come from fixing nutrient gaps and the lifestyle factors covered earlier.
Libido boosting supplements for women
When people search for libido boosting supplements for females, two herbs come up again and again, and they are the two with the most credible research behind them for women: maca root and ashwagandha. Both are adaptogens, plants that help your body handle the physical effects of stress, keep hormones steadier and support sleep and energy. That combination is exactly why they tend to help with desire.
Maca root
Maca (Lepidium meyenii) is a Peruvian root traditionally used to support energy, fertility and libido. It is the herb most closely associated with sexual health in women, and unusually for a natural remedy it has some randomised trial evidence. A double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial of 14 postmenopausal women, published in the journal Menopause in 2008, found that 3.5g of maca a day reduced anxiety and depression and lowered measures of sexual dysfunction, and it did so without acting like oestrogen in the body. A separate 12-week trial found maca (3g/day) helped ease the sexual side effects that antidepressants can cause in women, with the biggest benefit in postmenopausal participants.
WHY MACA SUITS MENOPAUSE
Because maca appears to work without mimicking oestrogen, it is often chosen by women who cannot or prefer not to use hormonal approaches. It supports desire, mood and energy through the body's stress and hormone systems rather than by adding hormones.
VitaBright's organic Maca Root capsules offer a straightforward, Soil Association certified organic way to try it. As with all adaptogens, give it time: most research runs over six to twelve weeks, so consistency matters more than a quick hit.
Ashwagandha for women
Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is best known for lowering stress, and since stress and cortisol are such powerful libido dampeners, that alone makes it relevant here. But it also has direct evidence in women. A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 50 women aged 18 to 50, published in BioMed Research International in 2015, gave participants 300mg of a standardised KSM-66 ashwagandha root extract twice daily for eight weeks. The ashwagandha group saw significantly greater improvements than placebo in overall sexual function and in arousal, lubrication, orgasm and satisfaction, plus more satisfying sexual encounters.
That study used the same KSM-66 branded extract found in VitaBright's organic Ashwagandha KSM-66 capsules, standardised to 5% withanolides, which is worth knowing if you want to match what was actually tested in the research.
Other supplements you may see
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Fenugreek – more studied in men for testosterone and stamina, but early research suggests it may support desire in women too. See our guide to fenugreek benefits.
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Magnesium – not a libido supplement as such, but magnesium glycinate supports sleep and calms the stress response, which indirectly helps.
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Starflower oil – our Starflower Oil with vitamin B6 is a popular choice for general hormonal wellbeing through the menstrual and menopausal years.
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Zinc – zinc bisglycinate supports normal testosterone levels and is worth topping up if your diet is low in it.
IF YOU WANT IT MADE SIMPLE
If you would rather not build your own stack, VitaBright's Menopause Supplements Bundle and Sexual Health Bundle combine several of these ingredients into one routine, aimed at hormonal balance, energy, sleep and sexual wellbeing.
How to increase your libido: a step-by-step plan
If you take one thing from this guide, make it this order of priority. Fixing the foundations first is what makes everything else work, and it costs nothing to start.
1 Rule out the fixable basics
Check whether a new medication, poor sleep, high stress, low iron or an untreated health condition lines up with when your libido dropped. These are the most common causes and often the easiest to reverse.
2 Sort out sleep and stress
Aim for more consistent sleep and build in genuine downtime. Even one extra hour of sleep is linked to more sexual activity the next day, and lowering cortisol removes a major brake on desire.
3 Close your nutrient gaps
Prioritise vitamin D, omega-3, magnesium, zinc, iron and B12 through food first, and supplement where your diet or a blood test shows a shortfall.
4 Add a targeted adaptogen
Try maca or KSM-66 ashwagandha consistently for at least eight to twelve weeks, since the research on both runs over that timeframe rather than days.
5 Address dryness directly
If vaginal dryness or painful sex is part of it, a lubricant or vaginal moisturiser helps immediately, and your GP can discuss local oestrogen, which is very effective and low-risk for most women.
6 Talk to a professional if it persists
If low desire continues and distresses you, see your GP or a menopause clinic about HRT, testosterone or, where appropriate, psychosexual therapy. Persistent low libido deserves a proper look.
A REALISTIC EXPECTATION
Libido rarely comes roaring back overnight. Most women who turn things around do it by stacking small wins over a couple of months: better sleep, less stress, filled nutrient gaps, a well-chosen supplement and, where needed, medical support. Give it time and be kind to yourself.
