Treating Libido Issues in Women

Scott: When people talk about hormones, Libido comes to the forefront. How do our hormones affect that and what can be done to balance that?

Erin Lommen: Yeah, excellent question. We have to say first that libido is a different discussion for women than it is for men. If men are are coming through the door for libido issues or erectile dysfunction, it's a little more straight forward with the hormonal workup and what will treat that. 

Scott: Mm-hmm.

Erin Lommen: With women, you're going to see a complexity of the hormonal imbalances that create low libido, or no sex drive. It's not just testosterone. A woman will even have optimal level of testosterone and go, oh no, I thought that I heard on Oprah that that was my problem and that is what was going to fix it.  

All of the hormones are so interactive. If a woman is really low on estrogen, or really high, that could be impacting libido. DHEA is another hormone that very much impacts women's sexual both interest and response. So, we have to look at the whole picture and then balance what we can therein. But again, I think that it's a more complex issue. Women have been less inclined to speak about it, so even in a lot of doctors offices, it's skipped as even a question as a part of their menopausal workup. And yet, it's a real crucial part of getting someone optimum and healthy.

Scott: But, it's easier to deal with than men?  Is that what you're saying?

Erin Lommen:  Yeah, I would say that it's more straight forward from the hormonal perspective. There's a complexity for women. If I were to say if testosterone is low in a man, if we correct that, that will correct the issue. In a woman, it's not quite as simple. We'll see three, four hormonal imbalances that have to be woven together and optimized to help that.