Thread by @designmom

Let's talk about sexual health for a minute. Have You Ever Heard of HSDD? It stands for Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder, and it's a defined medical condition. But don’t confuse HYPO with HYPER...

Hyper means too much, and hypo means too little. We’re talking about hypo — Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder refers to women who have little to no sexual desire. Fun fact: HSDD is the most common form of sexual dysfunction in women.

I want to openly disclose that #righttodesire asked me to start this conversation about HSDD (which means: #ad). I think this topic is important to talk about, and I'm glad they asked. (But skip it if you're not in the #ad mood.)

When I say HSDD is common, I mean common as in 1 in 10 women deal with it. And it’s been recognized in medical communities for nearly half a century. But it’s an easy bet that you’ve probably never heard of it. I certainly hadn’t.

Why? Because there are super weird hangups in our culture around women’s sexuality. Female sexual dysfunction is approached as taboo, or worse, trivialized. (Haha. Women don't like sex. So funny.)

We're often told that women just don't like sex that much...

...and that if we do have an appetite for sex, that means we're sluts. Of course, if we don't like having sex at all, then we're classified as a frigid bitch.

I guess there's a very specific amount of sex that women are allowed to want, but not say that they want?

Tricky.

Anyway, because of the weird hangups around women's sexuality, HSDD, a common condition, isn’t known generally, doesn’t get talked about, and isn’t treated. Because it isn't well known, women with HSDD may not even know there’s a name or diagnosis for what they’re going through.

And pretty much all of those women are made to feel like they are deficient somehow, or that they just have to live with it, or that there’s nothing that can be done about it, or that it’s not important. This kind of thing makes me crazy.

We know that medically, women’s issues are simply not given the attention that men’s issues are given. Our pain isn’t taken as seriously. Our overall health isn’t taken as seriously. And our sexual desire (or lack thereof) is not taken seriously at all.

bbc.in/2kgYtq4

I keep thinking of all the relationships that have been deeply damaged because of HSDD. All the women who have thought less of themselves. All the women who couldn’t find help and thought there was nothing to be done.

To be clear, lack of desire doesn't automatically equal HSDD. If your lack of desire doesn't bother you, then it's a good guess that an HSDD diagnosis is NOT in your future. But if you suspect you are suffering from HSDD, you’re not alone. And you’re not imagining the problem.

So just consider this a PSA. Next time a friend confides that she doesn't want to have sex, and is stressed out about it and feeling hopeless, you'll remember HSDD and be able to help her find more information. #righttodesire [End of thread]

bit.ly/2DlMtN7