Why Your Libido Has Changed
You might not talk about it often, but you feel it.
A shift in desire.
Less interest in intimacy.
Difficulty feeling aroused or connected in your body.
You may have mentioned it to your OBGYN and been told that “oh yeah, that’s just aging” or maybe they just stared at you blankly and prescribed you an anti-depressant.
Sure, stress and aging are realities which can impact libido, but this doesn’t mean you are doomed to a life of feeling like the volume is turned down. In reality, changes in libido are often one of the clearest signals that something deeper is happening within your hormonal system - and there are ways to support it.
At Nova Wellness we often work with people who say they just feel “off”, disconnected from their bodies, frustrated by changes in their sexual health, or unsure why something that once felt natural now feels effortful or absent.
We hear a lot of myths and invalidating statements like “women are less interested in sex than men”, or “men outgrow their desire in their 40s”... but none of this is true. Pleasure, love, connection and embodiment are some of the most important aspects of health and we’ve seen clients well into their 80s still experiencing all of it!
Feeling like your libido isn’t what it used to be isn’t something to ignore or push through. It’s not something you have to accept as your new normal.
If you’re looking for a naturopathic doctor in San Francisco who takes a deeper, more personalized approach to hormone and sexual health, this is where we begin.
Libido Is Not Just About Sex
Libido is often misunderstood as simply “sex drive.”
But it’s much more than that. Libido can also be related to your desire for good food. Your yearning for expansive travel or socializing with good friends. It can be your ability to experience the pleasure of your hobbies, art, nature, movies, books and more. In this sense, libido can be thought of as your ability to experience the pleasure of the senses. At Nova Wellness, we sometimes refer to this as having "libido for life itself": it’s your ability to live and express your aliveness - your vital force energy.
It’s influenced by:
Estrogen and testosterone levels
Cortisol (your stress hormone)
Thyroid function
Nervous system regulation
Blood flow and circulation
Emotional and relational health
Personal knowledge of your body’s anatomy
Your ability to feel and experience pleasure (freedom from numbness or pain)
Your libido is a reflection of how safe, supported, and resourced your body feels.
When your body is in balance, desire can feel like a current that’s constantly running throughout your body. It can be both responsive and proactive. When something is off, libido is often one of the first places you notice it.
Common Signs of Hormonal Imbalance Affecting Sexual Health
Changes in libido rarely happen in isolation. They’re often accompanied by other subtle (or not-so-subtle) symptoms:
Low or absent sex drive
Vaginal dryness or discomfort
Difficulty with arousal or orgasm
Fatigue or low energy
Mood changes, irritability, or anxiety
Irregular cycles or PMS
Sleep disturbances
Feeling disconnected from your body
Depression or anxiety
Cardiovascular symptoms
Decreased morning erections
Metabolic changes or weight gain
Difficulty putting on muscle
Pelvic pain
Menstrual changes
You don’t need a formal diagnosis for these to matter.
If something feels different, your body is giving you information. Our role is to help you understand what it’s saying.
Why Libido Changes Even When Everything Else Looks “Normal”
One of the most common things we hear is:
“My labs came back normal, but I still don’t feel like myself.”
This is especially common with sexual health.
Standard testing is often a simple blood test. The normal ranges are often broad and don’t actually indicate what optimal would look like. Most blood tests don’t capture:
Hormone fluctuations over time
How hormones are being metabolized
The role of stress and nervous system patterns
The interaction between systems (gut, liver, thyroid, adrenals)
Of course labs also do not give insight into:
Relational outlook including life fulfillment and romantic relationships
Work / life balance
Daily habits related to sleep, frequency of porn use, substance use
Trauma and life experiences
But libido is sensitive and it’s heavily affected by what’s going for you in your body, mind and spirit. Libido also responds quickly to shifts in your internal and external environment.
Even subtle imbalances can impact desire, arousal, and overall sexual well-being.
A Naturopathic Approach to Hormone & Sexual Health
At Nova Wellness, we approach libido and sexual health as part of a larger system, not an isolated issue.
As a naturopathic doctor in San Francisco, our goal is to understand the full picture of what’s influencing your hormones and how your body is functioning as a whole.
1. An Anatomy Lesson
Anatomy is a portal to pleasure and helps one understand how they experience (or don't experience) pleasure. Knowing where sensation derives from and lives in your body, how arousal actually works, and what feels good to you isn't always intuitive—it's often learned.
The reality is that it's hard to feel at home in a body you were never given the full tour of. Learning about your body, its erogenous zones, and what feels good can empower you to advocate for your own pleasure and communicate what you need.
As a naturopathic doctor in San Francisco, this is where we always start with clients: a comprehensive education about anatomy, taught through our in-house curriculum. Understanding your body isn't a bonus, it's the foundation.
2. Comprehensive Testing & Deeper Insight
We go beyond standard labs.
Using advanced testing (such as DUTCH hormone testing), we assess:
Testosterone, Estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone levels
Cortisol patterns throughout the day
Hormone metabolism pathways
Ovulation and cycle health
This allows us to see not just what your levels are, but how your body is using and processing them.
3. Supporting the Systems That Influence Hormones
Hormones don’t exist in isolation.
Your libido can be impacted by:
Gut health and microbiome balance
Liver detoxification pathways
Blood sugar regulation
Nervous system resiliency
We work to reduce inflammation, support digestion, and optimize these systems so your hormones can function more effectively.
4. Stress & Nervous System Regulation
Pleasure requires a sense of safety and relaxation. The means being in a parasympathetic state - “rest and digest” - for arousal and desire to come online. When you're stuck in sympathetic overdrive - rushing from meeting to meeting, mentally running through tomorrow's to-do list, carrying tension in your jaw and shoulders - your body is in protection mode, not connection mode.
When your body is in a constant “on” state:
Cortisol rises
Reproductive hormones are deprioritized
Blood flow shifts away from sexual organs
Your body cannot simultaneously prepare for threat and open to pleasure. This is why "just relaxing" rarely works as advice and why at Nova Wellness we focus on building genuine nervous system resilience, so your body can actually shift into the state where intimacy, arousal, and connection become possible again.
5. Personalized Nutrition & Supplementation
There is no one-size-fits-all protocol for libido.
Based on your unique physiology, we may create a protocol that naturally supports:
Estrogen or progesterone balance
Testosterone levels (in both women and men)
Adrenal function
Thyroid function
Nutrient deficiencies impacting energy and desire
This is done through a tailored plan using food, herbs, and targeted supplementation.
6. Improve Capillary and Venous Health
Healthy circulation is foundational to sexual function - especially for male bodies, where blood flow directly impacts arousal and ability to maintain erection. Over time, oxidative stress and inflammation can compromise the health of capillaries and veins, reducing the efficiency of blood flow to the areas that matter most. We may recommend supplements including:
Resveratrol
Ubiquinol
Japanese Knotweed
Pomegranate juice daily
That said, supplements aren't one-size-fits-all. Some can interact with medications or may not be appropriate depending on your health history. It's always best to work with a qualified practitioner who can assess what's right for your body before adding anything new.
7. Review of Lifestyle Factors
Beyond hormones and circulation, there are a few lifestyle and medical factors that can quietly undermine sexual health.
Marijuana and smoking both impact vascular function and hormone balance. Cannabis can lower testosterone and affect arousal over time, while smoking damages blood vessels and restricts circulation. If either is part of your routine, it may be worth reconsidering.
Cycling is great for cardiovascular health, but more than three hours per week on a bike seat can compress nerves and blood vessels in the pelvic region, potentially affecting erectile function. If you're a serious cyclist and noticing changes, this could be a factor worth examining.
Finasteride (commonly prescribed as Propecia for hair loss) can interfere with hormone pathways and has been linked to sexual side effects in some men.
Antidepressants—particularly SSRIs—are also well-known for dampening libido and arousal. If you're on either and experiencing changes, it's worth a conversation with your provider about alternatives or adjustments.
8. Bring in Additional Support As Needed
True sexual wellness often requires more than one kind of expertise. While we focus on the hormonal, metabolic, and physiological factors that influence libido and function, we also recognize when other specialists are needed to address the full picture.
Pelvic floor therapists are often an essential part of the team—particularly for those dealing with pain during intercourse, pelvic tension, incontinence, or recovery from childbirth or surgery. The pelvic floor is intimately involved in arousal and orgasm, and when it's not functioning optimally, pleasure can feel effortful or even inaccessible.
Sex therapists bring a different lens: one focused on the mental, emotional, and relational aspects of intimacy. If shame, anxiety, past experiences, or relationship dynamics are part of what's blocking desire, this work can be transformative.
And for many people, trauma healing is a critical piece of the puzzle. Unresolved trauma - especially sexual or relational trauma - can keep the nervous system stuck in protection mode, making it hard to relax into intimacy. Modalities like somatic experiencing, EMDR, and breathwork can help the body move out of survival and back into connection.
Working With a Naturopathic Doctor in San Francisco
Sexual health is often treated as secondary - something to address later, or a “nice to have”. But at Nova Wellness, we know that your libido is not separate from your overall health. It’s an integral part of being human and one of the best ways to get in tune with your inner voice. When it shifts, it’s worth paying attention.
In a city like San Francisco, where stress is high and expectations are even higher, many people find themselves disconnected from their bodies without fully realizing it.
They’re doing the “right” things like eating well, exercising and staying productive… and yet, something feels off. At Nova Wellness, we take a different approach. We don’t dismiss symptoms. We don’t reduce your experience to “normal labs.” We know that your libido is not separate from your overall health. It’s an integral part of being human and one of the best ways to get in tune with your inner wisdom. When it shifts, it’s worth paying attention. We help you understand what your body is doing and why.
You don’t have to accept low libido, discomfort, or disconnection as part of getting older or being busy.
With the right support, you can recalibrate what libido and pleasure looks like for you, in all stages of life. If you’re ready to explore a deeper, more personalized approach to hormone and sexual health, working with a naturopathic doctor in San Francisco can help you reconnect with your energy, your balance, and your body.
Book a discovery call with Nova Wellness to begin understanding what your symptoms are pointing toward and how to restore alignment from the inside out.
