10 Major Reasons For Your High Sex Drive

For many women, having a high sex drive – or having a higher sex drive at the very least – isn’t a bad thing. If you find yourself desiring sex less than your partner does, you might want to want sex more. However, the stereotype that women always want sex less than men isn’t true for everyone. Some women do experience a high sex drive. You might wonder why if you’re one of those women and what’s causing it.

sexual teaser

The good news is, a high sex drive may be entirely normal for you. There are many reasons you might have a high sex drive, and the interplay between them makes it hard to pin down why this might be the case. The opposite is also true: a woman’s sex drive is more complex than a man’s tends to be, so figuring out why it’s low can be just as stupefying.

Related: How to Make a Woman Horny

This list of things that cause high sex drive in women is in no means exhaustive, nor should it replace sound medical advice. But it can help you rest assured that you’re normal or encourage you to seek medical help if there might be something wrong.

By the way, if you’re currently struggling to get in the mood for sex, this guide to increasing your sex drive should fix that.

1. Puberty

Of course, both men and women will often experience a surge in their sex drive during puberty. This is because of the high amounts of hormones in your body as it becomes capable of reproducing. This is your body’s way of telling you to procreate. If you’re a teenager reading this, you shouldn’t just run out and have sex, however. Sex is a serious decision, and it may even be illegal for you to engage in sexual activities where you live if you’re too young.

The counterpart to puberty is menopause – or andropause in men – which leads to a drop in hormones and, often, a decreased sex drive as well. The years in between will tend to normalize as hormones operate at a normal level save for certain times in your life when hormones spike.

2. Menstrual Cycle

If you’re among the many women who report a higher sex drive one to two weeks before their period, you’re not alone. This occurs for the same reason you’re so horny during adolescence: your body is informing you that you are ready to make a baby. Right. Now. Of course, not every woman wants a baby now – or ever – and you can safely satisfy those urges without getting pregnant.

Although there’s really no hormonal reason you might continue to be horny during your period, many women are. Perhaps you’re just riding out those aroused feelings. Others suggest that shedding uterine lining induces arousal because the moisture increases sensitivity. Even retaining water, which most women generally dislike, can lead to increased sensitivity because of pressure in the pelvic region. Check out our guide to period sex to keep it sexy!

3. Pregnancy

Are you pregnant? Congratulations. Chances are, you’re in for a world of new experiences, especially if you’ve never been pregnant before. This is due to a lot of things, including the way your body changes. One of those changes is hormones. Again, your body is full of these chemicals as you’re growing a new life inside you. For many women, this means they feel hornier than ever.

Of course, a big baby belly, sore joints and your general exhaustion may mean you’re not ready to act on that desire, which is okay, too!

4. Testosterone

Sex drive tends to normalize when you’re not going through a bodily change that causes an influx or hormones. However, some women have an abnormally high sex drive, especially for solo sex, due to testosterone levels in their body. While this is typically thought of as a ‘male’ hormone, everyone has some. You can have higher levels of testosterone without it being a problem. Although, you might carry more weight, have more body hair and, of course, your libido might be higher than the average woman.

On the other hand, if you experience all these symptoms, you might have high testosterone because of a medical condition such as Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. PCOS can cause irregular periods and make it difficult to get pregnant. Your doctor will run a round of tests if she feels PCOS is a concern. Possible treatments include birth control, which tends to decrease sex drive, and medication to help with insulin resistance.

5. Bipolar Disorder

Another condition that can increase your libido is bipolar disorder, sometimes known as manic depression. A person who is bipolar will experience some manic states, during which they’ll have bursts of energy, sleep little and may make questionable decisions. Sexual decisions may be among these. Not only might you feel like your libido is out of control, but you might relinquish control of your sex life in ways such as not using protection against STIs.

Medication can help to control bouts of mania and depression. We also recommend reading about how condoms can make your sex life safer.

6. Adrenaline

Conditions in which the patient has high levels of the hormone adrenaline can also lead to an increased sex drive. The general term for this is hyperadrenalism. It can be caused by medications in the categories of epinephrine and corticosteroids. Symptoms of high levels of adrenaline may be excess body hair and fat on the back, which is similar to high testosterone.

7. Drug Use

Drugs that fall into the category of stimulants, including cocaine, ecstasy and even caffeine, can also contribute to a high sex drive. Any drug that stimulates your central nervous system has the capability of also affecting your libido. This includes weight-loss drugs such as the oft-prescribed Wellbutrin. If you’re taking prescription medications that seem to be causing a change in your sex drive, discuss this with your doctor.

8. Dementia

Dementia is a cognitive disorder that’s most frequently experienced by the elderly. Symptoms of dementia include difficulty remembering, but inappropriate sexual behavior is also common with dementia patients. Symptoms include masturbating in front of other people, exposing themselves and using sexual obscenities. Sometimes the medication used to treat dementia can be effective in treating hypersexuality. Therapy may also be beneficial.

9. Persistent Genital Arousal Disorder

If you think being horny all the time is all fun and games, think again. Persistent Genital Arousal Disorder, or PGAD, is an interesting condition. A person who has it might constantly be aroused, which makes it hard to concentrate. In some cases, orgasm can happen from the slightest stimulation – an embarrassing side effect. Learn more about that here. Both of these symptoms are due to increased blood flow in the pelvic area.

10. Pancreatic Endocrine Tumor

Although tumors of this kind are rare, they do sometimes happen. One side effect in women is high sex drive. If you have this type of tumor, then the levels of insulin, glucagons and somaostatin in your body will kick-start your sex drive.

There are other factors that can affect your sex drive, of course. For example, a relationship fraught with issues (more on that here) might kill your sex drive, while you might have a higher sex drive at the beginning of a relationship, when it’s full of new relationship energy.

For many people, a high sex drive isn’t a bad thing. You can have sex as much as you’d like as long as you have a willing partner, or you can take the DIY route and get the job done yourself (here’s some great masturbations techniques with illustrations if you’re interested). In some cases, a libido can be too high, leading to risky behavior and disrupting life. With the help of your doctor and possibly a therapist, you can work through issues caused by a disruptive high sex drive.


Leave a comment