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Relationships

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

Why does there have to be a reason for low libido?

307 replies

milkonesugar35 · 28/01/2024 07:35

I have very low sex drive - always have done.

Whenever I mention it I'm quizzed with:
Are you on hormonal contraception?
Are you on medication?
Are you depressed?

The answers to all three is no. I just don't want or need frequent sex. It's as if it has to be justified!

Yes my husband would like more frequent sex but he's known me this way for 12 years.

Anyone else experienced this too? It's really annoying!!

OP posts:
Macaroni46 · 30/01/2024 15:34

milkonesugar35 · 28/01/2024 18:46

@Jollyoldfruit I'm curious, why? Because you'd take it as a personal attack of his attraction (or lack of) towards you? Because you need it for a physical "release"? I ask because me not wanting sex isn't to do with how I feel for my husband and ultimately, anyone has a right hand.

Dismissive and cruel to say he has a right hand. Sex is an expression of mutual desire and attraction and involves someone else making love to you.
A wank is not comparable.
A distinct lack of empathy for your DH OP.
By all means don't have sex if you don't feel the need. But just as you ask for your preference for no sex to be respected, show that same respect to your DH. Have you discussed your lack of libido with him? How would you feel about an open marriage? Him having affair? Having you considered leaving him so he can find a new partner who does want a sexual relationship?
(I did the latter by the way. Detested sex with my ExH and couldn't have cared less if I never did it again. Met someone new and 9 years on, we still can't keep our hands off each other 😁)

kkloo · 30/01/2024 15:49

Macaroni46 · 30/01/2024 15:34

Dismissive and cruel to say he has a right hand. Sex is an expression of mutual desire and attraction and involves someone else making love to you.
A wank is not comparable.
A distinct lack of empathy for your DH OP.
By all means don't have sex if you don't feel the need. But just as you ask for your preference for no sex to be respected, show that same respect to your DH. Have you discussed your lack of libido with him? How would you feel about an open marriage? Him having affair? Having you considered leaving him so he can find a new partner who does want a sexual relationship?
(I did the latter by the way. Detested sex with my ExH and couldn't have cared less if I never did it again. Met someone new and 9 years on, we still can't keep our hands off each other 😁)

Did you love your ExH and leave him just for his sake? Or did you leave him because you were unhappy?

PaintedEgg · 30/01/2024 16:05

this thread went into somewhat weird direction...but I swear I saw almost exactly the same one few weeks ago

started off with just discussion different levels of libido and then descended into angry rants

and very similarly OP was very angry about the whole "people having sex thing" while saying she thinks her husband is ok with it

kkloo · 30/01/2024 16:19

PaintedEgg · 30/01/2024 16:05

this thread went into somewhat weird direction...but I swear I saw almost exactly the same one few weeks ago

started off with just discussion different levels of libido and then descended into angry rants

and very similarly OP was very angry about the whole "people having sex thing" while saying she thinks her husband is ok with it

Yeah there was a very similar one recently. Possibly the same poster.

But in the meantime there was also plenty of threads about people struggling in sexless relationships with the one who doesn't want to have sex been labelled in all sorts of ways. So I think these are important discussions.

PaintedEgg · 30/01/2024 16:22

@kkloo it is...but then again reading all these posts I feel like it's ready a dead end for a relationship if sexual (or other) needs are so different.

for a relationship to carry on one person would need to stay perpetually unhappy and that's an awful way to live

StarlightLady · 30/01/2024 16:26

I see sex as a legal recreational drug, not a procreation tool.

When in a relationship, l want regular sex. When not in a relationship l still make sure l have sex. There are people who will oblige 😉.

But l can’t ever conceive not wanting sex.

kkloo · 30/01/2024 16:36

PaintedEgg · 30/01/2024 16:22

@kkloo it is...but then again reading all these posts I feel like it's ready a dead end for a relationship if sexual (or other) needs are so different.

for a relationship to carry on one person would need to stay perpetually unhappy and that's an awful way to live

I agree completely that it's often a dead end if the couple are so incompatible and sex is extremely important to one of them.
That's why I think these conversations are important.

So many people enter relationships where the incompatibility exists from the start, and they believe that it might change in future or that if the person loves them enough then they'll change.

If people talked more about how some people just have a low libido and that's extremely unlikely to change, they're not broken so can't be fixed, then maybe that would stop some people from starting these relationships.

But then some people in sexless relationships don't report significant distress even if they're the one who would like to have more sex so I don't think people should assume that the person who would like more sex is desperately unhappy either because that's not always the case at all.

Macaroni46 · 30/01/2024 18:18

@kkloo I can see why you ask.
I didn't love him anymore (for various reasons) which is why, in hindsight, I couldn't bear to be touched by him. But I did care for him and enjoy his company sometimes.
I left mainly because I was unhappy and he was cruel and abusive but there was an element of setting him free too. (Possibly his bad moods and tempers were exacerbated by the lack of sex) At that point, I couldn't have cared if I never had sex again.
I then went on to have a fling which was all about sex. Couldn't believe how much I loved it. But I was not in love with that partner.
Then I met my current partner. The attraction was instant and strong. We had the most amazing sex (still do) from the very start and are now long term (9 years +) and yes, I love him.
I guess for me sex is a response to strong physical attraction and reinforced by love. I fell out of love with my exH so I also went off sex with him.
Personally, I don't understand how someone can love their partner but not want to be intimate with them or at least, acknowledge their feelings. To just dismiss their need for physical intimacy by saying have a wank suggests a complete lack of love and respect, in my opinion.

kkloo · 30/01/2024 19:15

@Macaroni46
So that's a very complex situation then and different than the OPs.

And I was in a fairly similar situation myself. Abusive ex, didn't want him to touch me. Got on as friends. Cared about him a lot, more than I cared about myself because I'd been brainwashed to, he'd been psychologically abusive from before we were even together, threatening suicide, self harming in front of me etc. because he wanted to be with me. I was only 16 so very vulnerable to it. There was definitely an element of setting him free for me but the situation had also become unbearable for me.

And I think it's far easier to leave when you yourself are not happy, and people generally don't leave their partners to 'set them free' if they themselves are happy. There's also no suggestion that he wants to be 'set free'. Generally the one who is the unhappiest will end the relationship.

Like you, I love sex and have amazing sex, my libido in that relationship was no reflection on me or my sexuality at all. Anyone else in the same situation would have been the same.

However, I will say that over the years I've spoken to friends who have gone off sex with their partners, and their experience of going through with sex they don't want was just as bad as mine even though they had at one point enjoyed the sex with their partners. The reason they avoid it is because it genuinely feels that bad. The tension and arguments over it were awful but preferable to having sex they didn't want. Now granted in a lot of cases that's because a lot of love has gone, but when the bedroom issues initially started it tended to have been because they were postpartum etc and felt pressured and all the tension and arguments that followed seemed to be what caused the relationship to end up as it did and the love to go, but they did love their partners when they first lost their libidos. One common reason why it never comes back is because many people in that situation do go along with sex they don't want even if it's infrequent, because they want their partner to be happy, but in a lot of cases that can lead to a sexual aversion, so there's only so long that a person can do it for.

The vast majority of dead bedrooms follow very similar patterns.

Personally, I don't understand how someone can love their partner but not want to be intimate with them or at least, acknowledge their feelings. To just dismiss their need for physical intimacy by saying have a wank suggests a complete lack of love and respect, in my opinion.

She's saying this on a forum though, not to her husband. By her account her husband doesn't make her feel bad over this, it's other people who do, so they are the people she responds to with the dismissive attitude.

kkloo · 30/01/2024 19:24

@Macaroni46
But just to add, the OP has always had a low libido, so the idea of 'setting him free' is just infantilizing the man completely.

PaintedEgg · 30/01/2024 19:31

@kkloo if OP's husband knew and doesn't mind and OP has not actually changed then there is no issue, right? So either she lies to herself about him not minding or she feels pressures to defend her low libido - not before her husband but before everyone else

and if it is the second scenario then I can see the frustration as constantly hearing (or reading) that you are a selfish and unloving and your husband should leave you can be upsetting - even if the husband in question is fine and potentially no more passionate than OP herself

lanza11 · 30/01/2024 19:48

milkonesugar35 · 28/01/2024 07:35

I have very low sex drive - always have done.

Whenever I mention it I'm quizzed with:
Are you on hormonal contraception?
Are you on medication?
Are you depressed?

The answers to all three is no. I just don't want or need frequent sex. It's as if it has to be justified!

Yes my husband would like more frequent sex but he's known me this way for 12 years.

Anyone else experienced this too? It's really annoying!!

Yes exactly the same I see it as nothing more than an additional chore.

I am leaving hubby this year and honestly I’m 99.9% sure I’ll never have sex again or live with another man ever ever ever. I dream of being single and just doing everything at my own choosing.

My close friends all feel same that sex is another chore. Just depends on the person I suppose as some women on here are looking for it constantly lol

lanza11 · 30/01/2024 19:51

DocOck · 28/01/2024 11:12

But there will be a reason. That's the point. Be it age or hormones or whatever.

But if you're happy with having a low libido then it's not really anybody else's business.

Maybe just don't mention it? It's not something that comes up often in conversations with my friends and family but there are a lot of people who want to address low libido so if you're deciding to talk about it, expect people to ask questions or make suggestions.

But why does there have to be a reason. What if some of us simply don’t have an interest in it !

harerunner · 30/01/2024 20:08

@lanza11

But why does there have to be a reason. What if some of us simply don’t have an interest in it

But you won't have no interest in it without a reason!

I don't believe any woman who has high levels of sex hormones, was physically,
emotionally and mentally fit and well, had a partner who she found attractive and was good in bed, would say she had no interest in sex!

So if you have no interest in sex, at least one of those things would be missing... And that would be the reason or reasons for your low libido.

DocOck · 30/01/2024 20:17

But why does there have to be a reason. What if some of us simply don’t have an interest in it !

@lanza11 Because there is a reason you have no interest. You might not care about the reason, or be bothered about it at all, but that doesn't stop there being a reason.

DocOck · 30/01/2024 20:19

My close friends all feel same that sex is another chore. Just depends on the person I suppose as some women on here are looking for it constantly lol

I can't believe that a whole group of women can find sex a chore. Sure, you don't always feel like it but calling something that feels so good, a chore? Wow. It's not about 'looking for it constantly', you don't even have to be having it constantly, but I have to honestly say I would be questioning the type of sex you're having to say it's a chore, low libido or not.

milkonesugar35 · 30/01/2024 20:32

harerunner · 30/01/2024 20:08

@lanza11

But why does there have to be a reason. What if some of us simply don’t have an interest in it

But you won't have no interest in it without a reason!

I don't believe any woman who has high levels of sex hormones, was physically,
emotionally and mentally fit and well, had a partner who she found attractive and was good in bed, would say she had no interest in sex!

So if you have no interest in sex, at least one of those things would be missing... And that would be the reason or reasons for your low libido.

I've had blood tests (not for this issue but covering hormone checks etc) all of which are fine. There is absolutely nothing wrong with me physically nor do I suffer mental ill health. I don't have a reason and I shouldn't have to give one. I just don't want sex; I'm not interested. This was the exact point of my op and your reply is an exact example of people insisting there has to be a justification. There doesn't!!

OP posts:
Comedycook · 30/01/2024 20:35

If you don't want to have sex with your husband then what differentiates how you feel about him compared with a good friend?

StarlightLady · 30/01/2024 20:36

DocOck · 30/01/2024 20:19

My close friends all feel same that sex is another chore. Just depends on the person I suppose as some women on here are looking for it constantly lol

I can't believe that a whole group of women can find sex a chore. Sure, you don't always feel like it but calling something that feels so good, a chore? Wow. It's not about 'looking for it constantly', you don't even have to be having it constantly, but I have to honestly say I would be questioning the type of sex you're having to say it's a chore, low libido or not.

Or not doing it properly!

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 30/01/2024 20:38

DocOck · 30/01/2024 20:19

My close friends all feel same that sex is another chore. Just depends on the person I suppose as some women on here are looking for it constantly lol

I can't believe that a whole group of women can find sex a chore. Sure, you don't always feel like it but calling something that feels so good, a chore? Wow. It's not about 'looking for it constantly', you don't even have to be having it constantly, but I have to honestly say I would be questioning the type of sex you're having to say it's a chore, low libido or not.

Why? I had no problems ever having orgasms. The sex was good, but l’m just not bothered anymore. It IS a chore. I’d rather have a decents night sleep or a good buck.

milkonesugar35 · 30/01/2024 20:38

Comedycook · 30/01/2024 20:35

If you don't want to have sex with your husband then what differentiates how you feel about him compared with a good friend?

We're a family. Sex isn't defining for our marriage. I wouldn't share a bed, a mortgage and children with a good friend.

OP posts:
flusterbluff · 30/01/2024 20:39

DocOck · 28/01/2024 11:12

But there will be a reason. That's the point. Be it age or hormones or whatever.

But if you're happy with having a low libido then it's not really anybody else's business.

Maybe just don't mention it? It's not something that comes up often in conversations with my friends and family but there are a lot of people who want to address low libido so if you're deciding to talk about it, expect people to ask questions or make suggestions.

But people don't start out with the same libido.

Some teens and young 20s are rampant. Others are pretty asexual. Their hormones aren't problematic.

Some adults have very very strong sexual desires. Others don't. Some people are very tactile others aren't. Some people and into kink. Others enjoy plain old vanilla.

None of these differences has a reason necessarily.

flusterbluff · 30/01/2024 20:42

Comedycook · 30/01/2024 20:35

If you don't want to have sex with your husband then what differentiates how you feel about him compared with a good friend?

I find this a really odd reasoning but it always gets brought up.

What makes you feel differently about your sibling or parents or children from your friends? All our relationships are different. I don't believe the only difference between a friend and a partner is sex.

And I'm saying this as someone who loves sex and couldn't be in a relationship with someone tho didn't want it.

But I completely accept that other couples are happy without.

harerunner · 30/01/2024 20:52

@milkonesugar35

Do you actively dislike sex, or are you genuinely not bothered either way, but just can't be arsed?

If you're just not bothered, does that mean you'd be ok having sex in the same way you'd be ok doing something you're equally not fussed about.

harerunner · 30/01/2024 20:54

@milkonesugar35

We're a family. Sex isn't defining for our marriage. I wouldn't share a bed, a mortgage and children with a good friend.

Why would you want to share a bed with someone you have no interest in being intimate with?

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