How To Fix Low Libido: PCOS Edition 

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a condition that affects up to 10% of women between the ages of 18-44. That may not seem like a huge percentage of people, but that’s 6 million women in the U.S. alone! It’s primarily a hormonal condition, which means it can impact your WHOLE body and comes with a long list of chronic symptoms and many of those have to do with the reproductive system. 

Women with PCOS often have hormone imbalances, including low progesterone, high estrogen, and high testosterone. This can lead to infertility, irregular periods, painful sex, and low libido. All of this can put a huge strain on your sex life. So, today, I am focusing on the low libido issue and giving you tips on how to naturally improve the root PCOS issues affecting libido. 

The main effects of PCOS that cause low libido are high androgen levels and psychological disorders, since Cysters are more likely to have anxiety and depression.) However, medications like birth control pills as well as body image issues from acne, excess facial hair growth, and weight gain can also be factors influencing your low libido. As you can tell, low libido is not your fault… there’s a lot working against you!

But don’t worry (and definitely don’t lose your confidence!), there are a lot of ways to mend these hormonal imbalances and other PCOS problems leading to low libido and finally get your sex drive back! Here’s what you can do:

How To Fix Low Libido: PCOS Edition 

Take zinc, vitamin D, omega-3, and Ovasitol. 

Nutrient deficiencies are common with everyone, no matter how balanced your diet is! Getting all the vitamins and minerals needed to support our bodies is not always easy. That’s where supplements come in! The right nutrients can relieve SO many side effects of PCOS including sex health issues. 

Zinc and Ovasitol are some of the best because they help balance testosterone levels! Since high androgens are responsible for many of your PCOS symptoms, especially those having to do with sex and reproductive health, definitely add these supplements to your routine! Vitamin D and omega-3 can also help support hormone balance while also boosting your mood to combat anxiety and depression!

You can grab all these supplements from Ovafit! It’s my NSF-certified supplement line that’s been specifically curated for PCOS bodies!   

Maintain a healthy weight with a balanced diet. 

A big part of sexual dysfunction is improper nutrition that worsens inflammation and insulin resistance, which directly influences hormonal imbalances! The cycle of inflammation, insulin resistance, and hormone imbalances is the main reason for your PCOS weight gain and many of our symptoms. 

One way to stop the cycle is by fueling our bodies with intentional PCOS-fighting foods that will help your body heal naturally. I recommend trying a gluten- and dairy-free anti-inflammatory diet for at least 30 days to see how you feel. For tons of support and recipes, download The Cysterhood app! Just give it a try, believe me, this is not a restrictive diet! We love to eat here! 

Get better quality sleep. 

Sleep is ESSENTIAL for the regulation of hormone levels. When your sleep schedule is out of control, so will your hormones. So, to improve sexual function, build a nightly routine to help get better sleep. I know this can be hard with PCOS, but here are some tips for improving your quality of sleep with PCOS! (Psst . . . the Metabolism Plus supplement bundle, which includes magnesium, should help with that, too!)

Do slow-weighted workouts 3-4x a week. 

Exercise isn’t just for building muscle and losing weight. It’s good for our health overall! It can improve hormone balance, relieve stress, reduce inflammation, and even directly support your sexual function. That’s a lot of things working in your libido’s favor! 

However, make sure you do the right exercises. Good news is that you don’t need to be in the gym for back-to-back classes for hours at a time. The best exercises for women with PCOS are slow-weighted workouts or low-intensity exercises that get your whole body moving without raising your heart rate and cortisol levels! You can find a TON of amazing PCOS-friendly workouts on The Cysterhood app! 

Practice stress-management techniques. 

Stress is an actual hormone response in the body. When we’re stressed, our cortisol levels go up, and that actually impacts our sex hormones, insulin resistance, and inflammation as well. This means stress literally makes all of our PCOS symptoms worse, including sexual desire. So, practice self-care and good stress management techniques to keep your cortisol levels low. 

Drink a PCOS tea blend. 

So many studies have shown the benefits of herbal tea for PCOS hormonal issues! Teas like spearmint, ginger, and chamomile have been shown to positively impact many PCOS symptoms by lowering testosterone and improving other hormones, like stress hormones, too! We’re releasing our own Testosterone Relief Tea soon, but until then, try this DIY PCOS tea blend to regulate menstrual cycles, improve fertility, increase your sexual activity, and so much more! 

Be kind to yourself. 

Remember that you’re beautiful! It doesn’t matter how PCOS has affected your body. There is so much to love about who you are. You are amazing, sexy, and definitely worthy of affection. Don’t be too hard on yourself while you’re going through this healing process. 

Raise your libido using these tips!

The way PCOS affects our bodies on the inside and outside shouldn’t stop us from having positive sexual health. It’s time to take control of your symptoms by understanding the root causes and making small lifestyle changes to fix them.

Healing is here, and you can live symptom-free with PCOS! You can find more info on the Ovafit blog, on the PCOS Weight Loss blog, and on The Cyster and Her Mister podcast. Let’s do this!