A qualitative analysis of female Reddit users' experiences with low libido: how do women perceive their changes in sexual desire?

Abstract

The true prevalence of low sexual desire among women is disputed among researchers due to the complex nature and presentation of women's sexual problems. To qualitatively analyze the aspects of libido/sexual desire frequently discussed by Reddit users and compare them with the current understanding of female sexual well-being and sexual desire disorders. By using the Reddit application programming interface, the TwoXChromosomes subreddit was queried for posts with the keywords libido and sex drive. Posts that were deleted or unrelated to themes of libido/sex drive were excluded. A total of 85 threads-63 queried from the keyword libido and 22 from sex drive-and approximately 2900 comments were qualitatively analyzed per the grounded theory approach. Five independent researchers read and coded each thread to identify dominant themes and emergent concepts. Outcomes of interest included codes related to sexual dysfunction, libido, orgasm, masturbation, types of sex, psychology, relationships, intimacy, treatment, medications, and health care. Posters were primarily heterosexual women in their 20s and 30s. The code categories with the highest frequency were relationships (22.7%, n = 272), libido (22.2%, n = 210), psychological (20.2%, n = 191), medications (7.29%, n = 69), and intimacy (6.0%, n = 57). Users frequently described a decrease in libido secondary to medications, particularly antidepressants and hormonal birth control. Many users discussed the challenges of navigating a relationship with low sexual desire and the resulting sexual distress. Posters described feelings of sadness, anxiety, and guilt due to their low desire. Additionally, users discussed the role that sex plays in relationships, whether as a way to develop intimacy between partners or to achieve orgasm. Finally, posters expressed dissatisfaction with health care addressing their concerns surrounding sexual desire. The study findings-namely, the impact of medications on sexual health, the interaction of sexual desire and mental health, and cited examples of inadequate sexual health care-can help guide sexual well-being research, diagnosis, and public policy. Using Reddit as a data source allowed for the analysis of women's experiences outside the preestablished concepts of female sexual desire. Limitations to the study include the potential for posts to be deleted by moderator guidelines, the young demographic distribution of Reddit users, and the popularity-based structure of subreddit threads. Our results emphasize the psychosocial aspects of sexual desire and the need to redefine sexual problems to encompass the complex nature of female sexual well-being.