How Stress Affects Your Sex Life

Stress is the bane of modern existence. We’re constantly amped up about our jobs, our relationships, our incomes, and a lot more. That takes a heavy toll on our bodies, affecting how we think, feel, and act. Chronic stress can also interfere with our hormone levels, sending the body’s ability to function properly reeling.

That includes all aspects of our sex life — libido, arousal, orgasm, and even sexual dysfunction.

At Revive Health Clinic, our expert team understands how prevalent stress is in our lives and how bad it is for our bodies and minds. That’s why we want to take this opportunity to explain how and why it affects sexual function, so you can take action to manage your levels and have as robust and normal a sex life as you can.

How stress affects sexual function

One way stress impacts your sexual health is by decreasing libido, or the desire to have sex.

When stressed, either acutely or chronically, your body releases the hormone cortisol. This elevation in cortisol can decrease testosterone levels in both men and women, which may negatively impact libido.

The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is a communication system among three of the body’s organs, and it’s crucial for stress management.

Dysfunction of the HPA axis impacts estrogen and progesterone secretion in women, along with thyroid hormone production — another hormone associated with sex drive. Men with a dysfunctional axis may secrete prolactin, a hormone associated with erectile dysfunction.

Stress can also impact your ability to become aroused and to have an orgasm. When stressed, your body is in a constant state of “fight or flight,” making it difficult to relax and fully enjoy sexual activity.

In addition to physical effects, stress can have psychological effects on your sexual health. Heightened responses lead to anxiety, which both makes it difficult to focus on pleasure and leads to concerns about performance, taking you out of the moment.

Constant stress can also lead to feelings of depression, decreasing your desire for sex and making it more difficult to experience pleasure.

Supporting studies

Many studies have been conducted on the effects of stress on the sexual health of both men and women. A 2007 study published in Behavioral Research Therapy found that chronic stress was associated with decreased sexual desire and decreased sexual satisfaction in women.

A 2013 study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine showed that high stress (and higher cortisol levels) in women was associated with lower levels of genital arousal, even when psychological arousal was present.

In men, a 2021 study in Andrologia found that those with high stress levels reported lower levels of libido and sexual satisfaction, as well as difficulty achieving and maintaining an erection.

Managing stress for better sexual health

You don’t have to let stress dictate your health and sexual wellness. Here are a few tips to manage stress and improve your sexual health:

Practice stress-reducing activities

Activities like meditation, yoga, or physical exercise can help you lower cortisol levels and increase feelings of relaxation.

Communicate with your partner

Open and honest communication with your partner about your stress level and how it’s impacting your sex life is critical for moving past the problem. Working together to determine ways to reduce stress can also help increase intimacy.

Seek help if needed

If stress is interfering with your sexual health, seeking help from a therapist or other health care provider can put you on the right path with gentle guidance and support. Couples therapy is also a great option for getting closer to and gaining an understanding of your partner.

If you’re stressed out and your sex life is suffering, Revive Health Clinic can help. To schedule a consultation, call our office in Lady Lake, Florida, at 352-290-0896, or book online with us today.