Libido is originally a Latin term for “desire, longing”, and in contemporary psychiatric-and-psychological context the term has functioned principally as the technical concept that Sigmund Freud formalised within psychoanalysis as the “totality of sexual energy”. In contemporary everyday and medical vocabulary, the term operates as a near-synonym for sexual desire and sexual drive.

Freud’s libido concept

Freud conceptualised libido as the sexual energy underlying psychic activity, with the energy’s direction, accumulation, suppression, and sublimation forming the basis for human psychic structure, neurosis, and cultural production. In Freud’s libido theory, sexual energy is present from infancy, developing through the oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital stages.

Freud’s student Carl Gustav Jung redefined libido as a broader “psychic energy in general”, extending the concept beyond strictly-sexual content to a vital-energy interpretation. The Freud-Jung schism traces in part to the fundamental disagreement over the definition of libido.

Contemporary medical use

In contemporary medical and everyday vocabulary, libido operates in several distinct senses.

Indicator of sexual-desire strength: the most common contemporary use, in expressions of the form “high libido” or “low libido” to describe sexual-desire levels. “Reduced libido” functions as a medical-presenting symptom in gynaecology, urology, and psychiatry clinical contexts.

Overall sexual motivation: the term names not a specific-act desire but the general orientation toward sexual interest and sexual activity.

Hormonal correlation: libido has substantial association with sex-hormones (testosterone, oestrogen), and hormonal-decline-related libido changes function as a recognised medical-management category.

Factors affecting libido

Libido levels emerge from the interaction of hormonal status, physical health, psychological state, relationship dynamics, and social environment.

On the hormonal axis, testosterone has been identified as central to sexual desire in both male and female anatomy. Menopause-related oestrogen and testosterone decline, postpartum hormonal changes, and hypothyroidism all affect libido.

On the mental-and-psychological axis, depression and anxiety disorders are strongly associated with libido reduction. Partner-relationship issues, past trauma, and stress all produce substantial libido changes.

On the pharmacological axis, antidepressants (particularly SSRIs) are well-recognised for libido-reduction side effects, with patient-reports of “post-medication libido disappearance” being a common clinical presentation.

Sex-differences in libido

The question of male-female libido differences has been debated from both biological and social perspectives. The commonly-held assumption of “stronger male libido” coexists with the question of whether the difference is biological or a product of socialisation and cultural norm. Research that controls for the female-libido-suppressing social norms has reported that the male-female difference is smaller than the popular assumption suggests under such controlled conditions.

Related Terms

• Sex hormones (sei-hormone)
• Pheromones (feromon)
• Paraphilia
• Sex drive
• Erection (bokki)