5 Ways Stress Affects Sexual Health
Stress affects just about every system in your body, from your nerves to your digestion to your respiratory and cardiovascular function. It’s only natural that it would affect your hormones, sexual function, and reproductive system, too. The good news is, by understanding how stress affects the body, you can take the necessary steps to turn things around. Here are just some of the ways stress can lead to issues with sexual health.
1. A Weaker Immune System
Chronic or long-term stress can weaken the immune system, dysregulating your body’s normal response to pathogens and making you more vulnerable to infection. In layman’s terms, the more consistently stressed you are, the easier it is to get sick, and not just with a cold. When under stress, you’re more likely to have STI flare-ups, like herpes outbreaks. You’re also more susceptible to new infections like UTIs, yeast infections, and bacterial vaginosis.
If you can’t completely eliminate stressors, you can try a daily UTI supplement to ward off urinary tract issues. To lower the risk of yeast infections, avoid scented menstrual products and sitting around in wet or sweaty clothes. BV is a bit more complicated, but you can stave it off with good hygiene and avoiding douching. To treat the underlying issue, the best medicine for a stronger immune system is a healthy, low-stress lifestyle and plenty of rest.
2. Erectile Dysfunction
You don’t need to see the research to know that stress, especially at work, can lead men to have problems in the bedroom. Job loss and other financial worries have been shown to lead to lower libido and erectile dysfunction. Other common stress-related causes of ED include relationship troubles, anxiety disorders, and even PTSD. Performance anxiety, or concerns about maintaining an erection, finishing early, or general bedroom skills, can also cause stress-related ED.
There are a number of different ways to treat stress-related erectile dysfunction, many starting at the source, like counseling or therapy. Some people also turn to yoga and other forms of cardiovascular exercise, acupuncture, meditation, or deep breathing exercises. In some cases, people turn to prescription medication to treat ED. Options include SSRIs to treat underlying depression and anxiety, and/or sildenafil or tadalafil to treat physical symptoms.
3. Uncomfortable Intercourse
For women, stress, anxiety, and depression can lead to other types of sexual dysfunction. For example, they can cause reduced desire or libido, and less overall satisfaction. Some women experience dryness, decreased arousal, and difficulty orgasming. In more serious cases, stress can lead to vaginismus or dyspareunia, conditions in which the vaginal muscles contract, causing intercourse to become painful.
To make sex more satisfying, women can try some of the same stress remedies as men. For instance, they can turn to exercise, therapy, relaxation techniques, or medications. They can also experiment with toys and lubricants to increase arousal and ease dryness. Toys can also make it easier for some women to achieve orgasm. For vaginismus or dyspareunia, it’s typically best to see a doctor or physical therapist for specific treatment options.
4. Mental Health and Loss of Desire
Whether or not your body is up for intercourse, your stress levels could mean you still might not be. Chronic stress causes excess cortisol production and can, in some cases, reduce levels of the sex hormones estrogen and testosterone. Stress can also lead to poor self-esteem and worsening body image, reducing your interest in sex. It can also cause distraction, leading you to enjoy sex less or have more trouble staying in the moment.
The effects can compound one another. If you’re feeling stressed or depressed, you can lose interest in sex. If you’re partnered, this may leave your partner feeling frustrated or less desirable, putting more pressure on you to perform. That pressure can lead to performance anxiety or technical difficulties during sex. In this case, the best remedy is probably to talk to your partner, with or without a therapist present, to prevent serious relationship issues.
5. Reduced Fertility
One little known fact about stress is that it can actually lead to reduced fertility. That’s usually for one of two reasons: First, enough stress can disrupt ovulation and the menstrual cycle and lead to missed periods or other fertility changes. Second, severe or long-term stress can reduce a man’s sperm count. That’s because stress interferes with the hormones the body relies on to produce more sperm.
Stress can also lead indirectly to reduced fertility, by prompting negative coping mechanisms that aren’t great for your health. For example, people who are stressed may engage in more drinking, smoking, or even illicit drug use. They may also exercise too little or way too much or get inadequate or low-quality sleep. Or, they may gain or lose enough weight to disrupt ovulation or reduce sperm count. A healthier lifestyle can often help reverse these stress-related fertility issues.
Take a Deep Breath
The good news about stress and sexual function is that the damage is often reversible. By reducing your stressors and getting appropriate treatment, if necessary, you can turn stress-related sexual health issues around. Talk to your healthcare provider, your partner, and/or a therapist to work out the best plan of action for your situation. That said, don’t forget to trust your intuition and spend more of your time doing what makes you feel happy, healthy, and relaxed.
