Low libido is a problem that many people face in the course of their lives. According to research, up to 20% of men and 40% of women experience a loss of sex drive at some point in their lives. However, if the problem is not related to physical factors, such as stress, pregnancy or childbirth, and the duration is too long, medical help may be needed.
Researchers at the University of Michigan conducted a series of experiments to find new methods of increasing sex drive in women. Their work was published in the medRxiv preprints catalog and is considered preliminary to publication in a peer-reviewed journal.
The study participants were five women with sexual dysfunction, including two women with spinal cord injuries. Before starting the experiment, the researchers asked the participants to rate their sexual arousal on a scale of one to five.
At the clinic, the researchers placed two small round electrodes on the women’s clitorises and began stimulating them with weak electrical pulses for 30 minutes. The main object of the stimulation was the dorsal genital nerve, which runs on both sides of the clitoral trunk and is responsible for sensitivity of the organ.
The results of the study were impressive. Three women without a spinal cord injury reported an increase in their arousal by one or two points on a five-point scale. Two women with spinal cord injuries saw an even greater increase in arousal, two to three points.
Experts believe these results may be encouraging for women suffering from low libido. However, they note that this study was conducted on a small sample of participants and needs further study.
In the future, the researchers plan to conduct additional experiments to test the effect of other stimuli, such as watching porn, on the effect of the procedure. This will allow them to more fully explore the potential of electrical stimulation to increase sex drive in women.
However, despite the study’s encouraging results, scientists warn of the need to approach the procedure with caution. Electrical stimulation can have its own risks and side effects, so it should only be performed under the supervision of specialists.
The study itself is only the first step toward understanding the effectiveness of electrical stimulation to increase libido in women. Further research will allow more precise determination of which groups of women can benefit most from this procedure and what its possible risks may be.
