low sexual desire (hypoactive sexual desire disorder or HSDD) among women

In previous entries, I have discussed low sexual desire (hypoactive sexual desire disorder or HSDD) among women, and the fact that women cope in different ways with the personal distress associated with the condition.

Since HSDD is extremely common in our society among women, it is important to try to identify these distress patterns and understand their origins. I have already pointed out that loss of sexual desire is not the same as loss of interest, which can be specific to the situation and often is short-lived. Rather, HSDD is a profound lack of investment in or response to sexual stimuli.

So here's an interesting question: How can someone be distressed about the loss of a drive to do something she no longer wants to do?

The answer is that while an individual woman may no longer physically desire sexual intimacy with her partner, she often still craves the sense of completeness and self-definition conveyed by the terms lover, wife, and partner.

She may not crave sexual fulfillment but may very much wish to retain her sense of who and what she is - and that, in no small part, is derived from her role as an intimate partner in a relationship. In a sense, part of her identity is missing.