When is the last time you wanted to get down and dirty with your man? Do you find yourself making excuses and turning away from his advances? Did you used to initiate, and now wait for him to? Were you once the horny girl who couldn’t get enough sex, and now you don’t crave it at all?

Letting a low libido continue may seem harmless, but is it really fair to your mate? Hell, is it even fair to yourself to give up orgasmic release, and all the health benefits associated with maintaining healthy, functioning, sex organs?

And if you aren’t in a relationship, a low libido could be keeping you from seeking one, in which case you could also be missing out on the benefits of the emotional connection that comes with a loving, sexual relationship.

Staying Fit After Thirty means staying on top of things sexually. (Pun fully intended!) Ideally, women would have their hormones tested when their libido is at its healthiest and strongest - possibly in their early twenties, for a baseline measurement of all sexual hormones. Then they would have a “norm” to compare to, if things start to change in their thirties and beyond.

There are situations in life that can affect your libido temporarily, which is very normal. For example, it’s commonl to have a reduced sex drive for awhile after having a baby, or during stressful times. But some women (and men) find that they have an ongoing problem with a decreased libido.

Sex drive is a good indicator of overall mental and physical health, and is a telltale sign that something is wrong, if your drive substantially decreases from where it used to be. Birth control pill use can have huge libido-reducing ramifications, but sometimes, the natural hormonal changes of aging can be to blame. The problem is, when someone has no drive, a lot of times they aren’t motivated to get it back. As one friend explained it to me, “if my craving for chocolate goes away, I’m not that motivated to drive to the store to buy a candy bar.”

Although mid to late thirties is thought of as the time when women are in their sexual “prime”, it can be the very time when a lot of women’s hormones are declining enough to reduce their sexual drive.

Take a look at this list of all the top reasons for a low libido, and find out which one may be the culprit for your sexual energy slump. Remember, part of staying Fit After Thirty, is having great sex, and you can’t do that without a healthy libido!

Causes of low libido: