Arousal and Desire

Difficulty achieving or maintaining an erection

It is not unusual for this to occur occasionally, for example loss of erection can happen because of drinking too much alcohol, or being over-anxious because of a new partner or because of stress. It might seem embarrassing to tell your GP but it is important that to rule out any medical conditions and your GP can often find helpful solutions. There are self-help options and links to other organisations here.

Lack of sexual interest or desire

Anyone can suffer from difficulty with their sexual interest or desire, sometimes called loss of libido, and the most important thing is being able to talk to your partner about this. It can be due to a number of factors such as illness, medications, stress or other life events such as childbirth, moving house etc. Lack of sexual interest or desire can be improved by something as straightforward as talking to your partner about your concerns or you can consider trying out new sexual activities, using sex toys, or using erotic material to turn you on. It is important that your partner is happy with this too. If this fails to help you can seek advice from your GP to explore the possible reasons for loss of sex drive and find ways to help. There are self-help options and links to other organisations here.