Hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) is a clinical diagnosis used to describe someone with little or no interest in sex.
In lay terms, if you have no interest in sex, few or no sexual fantasies, you’ve experienced this for some time, and there is no other clear reason for it, the diagnosis my apply to you.
To be diagnosed as having HSDD, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), the following conditions have to be met:
- Persistently or recurrently deficient (or absent) sexual fantasies and desire for sexual activity. The judgment of deficiency or absence is made by the clinician, taking into account factors that affect sexual functioning, such as age and the context of the person's life.
- The disturbance causes marked distress or interpersonal difficulty.
- The sexual dysfunction is not better accounted for by another Axis I disorder (except another sexual dysfunction) and is not due exclusively to the direct physiological effects of a substance (e.g., a drug of abuse, a medication) or a general medical condition.
It’s important to remember that everyone goes through periods where they have little or no interest in sex. In addition to the natural ebb and flow of sexual desire, there may be any number of psychological, social, physical, or even spiritual reasons someone isn’t feeling interested in sex. If you’re not bothered by your lack of interest, then it isn’t really a problem for you. If you’re in a relationship and your lack of sexual interest is a problem for your partner, then it may become a problem for you as well.
Clinicians will distinguish between “global” HSDD (meaning you have no interest in all kinds of sexual expression) and “situational” (meaning your lack of interest is only with one person or one sexual activity).
