Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD) treatment, diagnosis & prescriptions

Did you know that a decrease in sexual desire is the most common sexual complaint for women in North America?

Approximately 1 in 10 women experience a distressing loss of sexual desire. It is often persistent and does not change regardless of how much they love their partner or what sexual stimulus they receive. These women may suffer from a medical condition known as Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder, or HSDD, also sometimes called hyposexual desire disorder or low sexual desire disorder.

Learn more about HSDD here.

An estimated 38.7% of women experience a lack of sexual desire. HSDD — a persistent and distressing loss of sexual desire — affects about 10% of the population (over 15 million women in North America!)

Symptoms of hypoactive sexual desire disorder include:

• Persistent, recurrent deficiency of sexual desire
• Absence of sexual fantasies and desire for sexual activity
• Marked distress or interpersonal difficulty not better accounted for by another sexual dysfunction disorder and not due exclusively to the direct effects of a medication or a medical condition

The treatment of HSDD starts with a visit to a licensed and sympathetic physician. If you are a woman diagnosed with HSDD or low sexual desire, your doctor might discuss several options with you.

Counseling/Sex Therapy – Desire for sex can be dependent upon a number of factors beyond biology, such as issues around intimacy, physical health, and cultural norms. These treatment options can provide guidance to partners with sexual incompatibilities or sexual dysfunction. It may focus on teaching patients about the body and sex, or how sexuality changes as we age.

Medication – Your doctor may consider a number of options depending on your condition. In Canada, there is currently one drug that is approved for use in premenopausal women with acquired, generalized HSDD. A prescription for this drug may be considered by your doctor if your low sexual desire has persisted for a minimum of six months, occurs 75-100% of the time, and is causing marked distress or interpersonal difficulty.

Yes, absolutely. Maple doctors are trained to diagnose, treat, and prescribe for sexual health conditions on Maple. The doctor will discuss options for treatment during an online consultation. They will assess if you have any co-existing medical or psychiatric conditions and determine potential effects of medications or other drug substances to determine the best course of treatment.