Exploring the female libido: The connection between progesterone and sex drive

As women, our hormones play a pretty big role in how we feel throughout the month. From your cycle to your mood, these little buggers can make life a bit of a roller coaster. One area that your hormones play a huge role in is your sex drive. That’s right; your libido is often directly tied to hormonal fluctuations, and understanding how they work can take the mystery out of why you sometimes can’t get sex off your mind. The question is, “Does progesterone make you horny, and if so, what does that mean for your sex life?” In this article, we’ll give you the inside information on the connection between progesterone and sex drive so you can better understand the driving force behind female sexual desire. 

Key takeaways

• Your sex drive is influenced by numerous factors, including your hormone levels and menstrual cycle.
• Higher progesterone can predict your lower libido in the luteal phase.
• Along with progesterone, estrogen and testosterone have an impact on a woman’s sex drive.
• Some types of hormonal birth control can lower your libido.
• There are ways you can increase your sex drive, like exercising, eating healthy, and managing stress. 

Female sex drive – What is it?

The female sex drive, also called your libido, is how much you desire sexual activity. Everyone has a different level of desire, and there’s no right or wrong amount to “want sex.” When it comes to your libido, there’s a few factors that affect it, including:

• Hormones – Your hormone levels play a huge role in your sex drive. Specifically, estrogen, testosterone, and progesterone. Of the three, progesterone effect on libido is not well understood. Typically, sexually active women have higher levels of estrogen, progesterone and testosterone compared to sexually inactive.
• Mental health – In women, sex and mental health have a strong connection. When you’re feeling stressed, depressed, or anxious, it’s common to experience a decrease in your sex drive.
• Lifestyle – Did you know that your lifestyle can affect your libido? It’s true! Habits like smoking or drinking too much alcohol are known to negatively impact sex drive.
• Medications – It’s important to note that some medications like hormonal birth control, blood pressure medications, and antidepressants can lower a woman’s libido.

Of course, while all of these factors play a role in a woman’s sex drive, their impact varies from woman to woman. Your libido is as unique as you are, and there’s no right or wrong level of “horniness.”

Why do women experience low libido?

When it comes to your sex drive, having a low libido can be incredibly frustrating. Desiring to desire sex when you can’t seem to get in the mood can negatively impact your mental health and may even strain relationships. Here’s the thing: the female sex drive is a bit of a tricky subject because women are complicated. It’s not simply a hormonal issue; sexual desire is directly tied to numerous factors like stress levels, lifestyle, mental health, and your happiness with your partner. So it is not simply the low progesterone and libido rise or fall.

The tie between female sex hormones and libido

As our regular Hormonas know, female sex hormones can be a bit fickle. They fluctuate up and down throughout your menstrual cycle, often bringing a wide range of feelings and emotions. While you may have heard that estrogen and progesterone can impact your sex drive, did you know there’s another secret sidekick that plays a vital role? That’s right, this unknown accomplice is none other than testosterone. Yep, women produce testosterone, too, albeit in smaller amounts than men. When combined with estrogen and progesterone, this trio is the key to unlocking your libido. 

Progesterone and libido

Progesterone isn’t the culprit behind low libido. It’s more like a weather forecast — predicting the mood rather than causing the storm. When you have low progesterone horny feelings can often follow, whereas higher levels predict your libido to plummet. Is progesterone such a mood killer? Nope, there can be other factors in play that we simply don’t know yet. So don’t be quick to blame high progesterone for low sex drive; this may just be the tip of the iceberg, with the real reason lurking beneath the surface.  

How do other female sex hormones affect your libido?

Estrogen is your libido wingman, getting your body primed and ready to have some fun. Not only that, but this super hormone helps your skin and hair look beautiful, increases vaginal lubrication, and boosts your sex drive. How can one hormone do so much? 

High estrogen levels do a few things to your body. Estrogen promotes thick, lubricated, and elastic vaginal walls, which helps protect against pain during sex. It also increases along with your libido near ovulation, and can predict when your libido tends to skyrocket during the most fertile part of your cycle. In essence, the estrogen hormone helps not only make you want sex, but it makes sure the act feels incredible. Talk about a girl’s best friend! 

Let’s talk about testosterone. It is still recommended by doctors as an off-label medication to treat sexual dysfunction, although this approach is debated. Additionally, after menopause, high and low doses of testosterone and estrogen can effectively boost libido and contribute to overall sexual health. While this hormone may be helpful, the benefits of such treatments should outweigh the risks and be assessed each time.

How does hormonal birth control influence libido?

Regarding the impact of hormonal birth control on libido, the jury’s out on how much it actually affects a woman’s sex drive. The consensus seems to be that the hormones in the medication are what have the most effect on your libido. Combined oral contraceptives contain a mixture of synthetic estrogen and progesterone, which are combined to inhibit egg production in your body. That’s great when you want to avoid pregnancy, but when it comes to sex, it could complicate matters. 

Here’s the thing: your body wants to procreate. Your entire cycle is designed to make offspring, and your hormones take that job seriously. One of the ways they do that is by making you want to have sex when you’re at your most fertile. That’s right; when you’re ovulating, your sex drive often goes into overdrive. Hormonal contraceptives inhibit ovulation, so instead of getting that rush of, shall we say, “horny hormones,” every month, your levels remain steady. For many women, that can mean you’re simply not in the mood as often. Interestingly, if you want to blame progesterone-only contraceptives for low libido, thinking that progesterone’s side effects can lower it, you might be mistaken! Progesterone-only pills had no effect on sexuality in clinical trials and even improved women’s wellbeing. If you feel it’s complicated, it really is.

So, if you don’t want to use hormonal contraceptives, one option if the time isn’t right to get pregnant is to opt for non-hormonal birth control. These can include natural family planning, condoms, and copper IUDs. Be sure to talk to your doctor and discuss which method is right for you that fits in with your long-term goals so you can find the best fit for your lifestyle. 

How do I increase my sex drive?

When you want to increase your sex drive, the good news is that there’s numerous methods available. Let’s explore some of the top options further.

Herbal supplements 

Some herbal supplements like Ginkgo Biloba are thought to help improve sexual function and desire. It may improve blood flow, which increases sexual response.

Exercise

Exercise is vital for a healthy body and mind, two main factors that contribute to a robust sex drive. It can improve your self-esteem, reduce stress, make you more energetic, combat anxiety and depression, and increase stamina.

Changing hormone birth control

If hormonal birth control is causing a dip in your sex drive, you may want to consider switching to another medication, as we’ve stated earlier, not all hormone options affect sex drive. Here’s a great article about what you can expect if you decide to discontinue the pill. 

Hormonal treatments

For some women, hormonal treatments may be beneficial. Many doctors prescribe testosterone or estrogen creams to boost libido and help with overall symptom improvement.

Tips on monitoring progesterone levels and its impact on women’s sex drive

Now that you know the connection between progesterone and your sex drive, you can see how important it is to monitor your hormone levels. Here are a few tips you can use to monitor your progesterone levels so you can predict your sex drive. 

Know when to test

The best way to know what your progesterone levels are is to test them, but if you’re not checking at the right time, the information may not be accurate. The best time to test is between 6 and 8 days after you ovulate or the 21st to 28th day of your cycle. During the luteal phase, your progesterone levels are at their highest, so you’ll want to monitor them during the second half of your cycle. 

Know how to test

There’s three ways to test your progesterone hormone levels: urine, saliva, and blood. For the most accurate results, many doctors choose to run a blood test, typically taking samples from  a vein in your arm. 

Know how to properly prepare

Properly preparing for testing will give you the most accurate results, so be sure to follow these guidelines:

• Alert your doctor to the date of your last period
• Let them know which medications you take
• Take it easy for 30 minutes before your test
• Don’t smoke for at least 2 to 3 days prior to testing
• Avoid drinking alcoholic beverages, coffee, or strong tea the day before your test
• Fast from food for 8-10 hours, but not more than 14 hours prior to testing (juice and water should be fine)

As Hormonas know, the Hormona app makes it easy to monitor your hormone levels at home, giving you greater control over your body and hormonal health! Knowing how your hormones impact your sex drive allows you to make the necessary changes to help increase your libido and improve your sex life.

Final thoughts

A low sex drive can be frustrating for both you and your partner, so understanding how your body functions can make all the difference. As women, our hormones play a direct role in our libido, with high progesterone levels often contributing to lowered sexual desire in the luteal phase. While estrogen and testosterone can improve these symptoms, finding ways to balance your hormones, whether through lifestyle changes or medication, can make all the difference. Remember, there’s no right or wrong level of sexual desire; every woman is unique. At Hormona, we’re dedicated to helping you understand your hormones and how they affect your health, which is why our Hormona app is the end-to-end solution that enables women to understand and live in harmony with their hormones.

FAQ

Why do I feel so good on progesterone?

Progesterone acts as a natural antidepressant, helping improve mood, promote sleep, and promote relaxation. This is what we know from animal studies, and we are waiting for more research to confirm the same idea in humans.

Does progesterone increase libido?

No, progesterone doesn’t increase sex drive. It can only predict when it will be reduced.

Will progesterone make me more feminine?

Not progesterone, but estrogen mainly can increase feminine characteristics, soften skin, and redistribute fat cells to the butt, hips, and face.

Does progesterone lower/decrease libido?

It’s not that simple. It’s not just a matter of yes or no. While you may feel less interest in sex during the luteal phase when progesterone levels are high, there could be other factors involved. Additionally, women in the second trimester of pregnancy often experience a higher sex drive, even though progesterone levels remain elevated during this period. 

What happens if you take progesterone without estrogen?

It depends on the exact medication and its form that you take. Progesterone-only contraceptives mainly thicken cervical mucus. However, some medications can also suppress ovulation.

How does progesterone affect or help with libido?

No definite answer yet, but you may feel less interested in sex in the luteal phase when progesterone levels are high compared to the follicular phase when its levels are low.

What to avoid while taking progesterone?

Some medications may interfere with progesterone-pills, so you have to be careful when starting a new one and check if it is okay to use them both. For example while taking rifampin, the efficacy of your birth control pills is questionable. 

What are the symptoms of too much progesterone?

You may experience heartburn, bloating, and constipation due to high progesterone, as it slows down the motility of the gastrointestinal tract mainly in pregnancy.

Does low progesterone cause low libido?

No, it doesn’t cause low libido, but what is interesting is that women who are asexual tend to have lower levels of progesterone in general. 

Does progesterone make you hornier?

No, increased progesterone levels are linked to decreased sex drive in the luteal phase.

Does progesterone cream increase libido?

Interestingly, yes, progesterone cream can increase your libido but only if your peri or postmenopausal. It’s unlikely to help you, if you are naturally cycling during your reproductive stage. It may improve your skin elasticity, firmness and subsequently improve mood.

Does sex increase progesterone?

No, sex lowers progesterone levels in women who are using vaginal progesterone during fertility treatment, so keep in mind that if you don’t want to increase chances of miscarriage.

References

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