Physical Causes of FSD

While it’s important to recognise the emotional and psychological causes of female sexual dysfunction, it can also be caused by underlying medical conditions, diseases, medications, aging, menopause and other physical causes. The physical causes of FSD can generally be treated fairly efficiently, once diagnosed, but it is crucial to visit a doctor to confirm your diagnosis. Below are some of the main physical causes of FSD.

Age related changes

Aside from hormone changes that occur with age (they will be discussed further down the page); there are many other changes that come with aging. From the onset of conditions that are associated with aging, such as arthritis, heart disease and joint, to surgeries and medications – aging is a physical cause of FSD that cannot be avoided. By adapting to your body as it changes, women can experience less of a change in their libido and sexual functioning.

Fatigue

Caused by stress and overworking, fatigue is a physical cause of FSD because it simply exhausts a woman’s body. With little energy to get out of bed, sex becomes an unwanted chore, and women with fatigue can experience a disinterest in sex, lowered sex drive and the inability to become aroused due to extreme exhaustion.

Impaired blood vessels

This particular physical cause of FSD is still a relatively new concept and can be compared to the process that causes men to get erections, and what causes them to suffer from impotence. Research so far has shown that women could suffer from a vascular disease that limits the blood flow to their sexual organs when they are aroused. This makes it impossible to reach orgasm, become wholly stimulated, or even to become aroused. The long term effects of this problem could lead to psychological problems, like anxiety to perform, stress, or a feeling that you could be doing something wrong.

Hormones

Hormones are probably the main contributing physical cause of FSD. The ovaries in a woman’s body are responsible for producing two hormones, testosterone and oestrogen. Testosterone fuels the sex drive, while oestrogen keeps the vaginal area moist and receptive when sex is initiated, to prevent pain. There are basically 3 reasons why the hormone levels in a woman’s body decrease;

• She has reached menopause (natural aging)
• Experiencing surgical menopause (hysterectomy)
• A disorder/condition that effects the female reproductive system

If a woman has reached menopause, generally around her late 40s and 50s, her ovaries naturally stop producing hormones. This is just one of the symptoms of menopause. Hormone replacement is often suggested to these women to prevent the onset of FSD.

If a woman has been through a hysterectomy, she will experience surgical menopause, which has the same effects as regular menopause, but it may be more severe, as generally the ovaries are removed entirely. Again, hormone replacement can be used to treat women suffering with this physical cause of FSD.

Some younger women have under active ovaries, and experience a generally lower production of hormones. Doctors can prescribe women with a birth control pill that has a high dose of both hormones. Combination birth control pills are available and can give women the extra hormones that they need.