A specialist in female sexual dysfunction has spoken out about the impact that giving birth can have on women’s sex drives.

Dr Irwin Goldstein works as director of sexual medicine at Alvarado Hospital in San Diego, California. She says that women who have recently given birth, and find themselves uninterested in sex with their partner, should not necessarily start fretting about sexual dysfunction. A low libido in the months after birth can be a perfectly natural occurrence. If it persists in the long-run, however, she says that this could be an indication of a deeper problem.

Women are generally told that they can have sex around six weeks after they have given birth. Yet most are still so physically exhausted, and emotionally drained, that the thought of trying to re-spark their sex lives is the last thing on their mind. Many women wait months after pregnancy, and in some cases women say that it took them a whole year.

If they still don’t desire sex after a year, it may be worth consulting a sex therapist or relationship councillor. While men can use erectile dysfunction drugs to perk-up their libido when it is flagging, there is currently no such drug available for women (although testosterone patches may help). Women may also have less access to advice, information and support, something that is gradually improving.

Dr Goldstein says that every day, she sees female patients who believe there is something wrong with them because they are uninterested in sex after having a baby. In reality this is usually just a natural experience.

Female sexual dysfunction is a complex condition, with causes ranging from physical to psychological. A chemical imbalance in the body may be to blame, but there may also be more complex factors at work, so if you think you may be experiencing it, consulting a specialist is your best option.

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