Q: CAN I BOOST MY LIBIDO? AFTER TEN YEARS WITH MY HUSBAND, I DON'T EXPECT US TO BE AT IT LIKE RABBITS, BUT I NEVER WANT TO HAVE SEX AND WHEN WE DO OCCASIONALLY MAKE LOVE, I CAN'T WAIT FOR IT TO BE OVER. IS THIS NORMAL - I'M ONLY 38. Name and address withheld
A: You really aren't on your own with this. One in three women report a low libido at some period in their lives. The causes behind a lack of interest in sex couldn't be more varied - everything from stress and drinking too much to simply feeling nervous can play a part, and that's just looking at the lifestyle factors. First off, I'd recommend you have some blood tests to eliminate physical problems. Get your GP to test your hormones, prolactin levels (to rule out a problem with your pituitary gland), iron levels and thyroid function, and perform a gynaecological examination. If nothing medical comes to light, I'm afraid prescribing a Viagra-style pill isn't an option; there are currently no female-specific libido boosting drugs on the market. But that doesn't mean you should just put up with a lacklustre love life. It might be that the root of your problem is psychological; could you have got stuck in a vicious circle in terms of seeing sex in a negative light? If so, ask your GP to refer you and your husband to a psychosexual counsellor or get in touch with Relate - about 73% of women report an improvement after attending regular sessions over a number of weeks.
