When it comes to getting a woman in the mood, hormones are not the key to revving her libido as they would be for men, according to CNN. What women need to be turned on is... well, complicated, according to a new study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.
"Women's interest in sex is extremely complicated," said Dr. John Randolph, study author and professor of obstetrics and gynecology with the University of Michigan Health System, according to CNN.
Some drugs are in the works, but currently, there is no medication available in the United States to treat "hypoactive sexual desire disorder." The idea of giving women small doses of testosterone has been explored, since that seems to do the trick for men with erectile dysfunction, according to CNN.
Women do produce low levels of testosterone which can drop if a woman has had her ovaries removed or if she has gone through menopause, according to CNN, but Randolph explained that "people haven't been very successful in proving that for lots of reasons."
The decade-long study examined 3,302 women who were going through menopause and what seemed to affect sex drive more than hormones was emotional well-being, according to CNN.
Women who had higher testosterone levels did feel more sexual desire than those with lower levels, "but the difference was underwhelming," Randolph said. The study showed that women with fewer sad moods were more emotionally secure in their relationship and had more sexual desire than those who felt depressed more often, according to CNN.
"Mood and an overall sense of health and well-being is key for women," Randolph said, according to CNN.
So if a woman is experiencing low sexual desire, should she see a doctor to care for her psychological needs instead of her physiological needs?
"It's not fair, I know. A lot of people would probably rather just be able to take a pill," Randolph said, according to CNN. "But when it comes to sex, women are a lot more complicated."
