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Can CBD Impact Libido?

Written by Lisa Rennie

Reducing anxiety, alleviating pain, and cutting back on the frequency and severity of seizures; these are all potential benefits that CBD has exhibited in the health and medical industries, and ongoing research continues to solidify these findings.

CBD is even being used in the health and wellness realm as a means to improve the look of skin, and is even making its way into spa treatments, including facials, massages, and even manicures.

With the increasing popularity of CBD comes an explosion of new CBD products, and a far wider range of uses.

But boosting your sex life? Can CBD actually help to make sex better for you and your partner?

There’s currently talk about CBD potentially playing a role in improving libido, which can help foster a stronger and healthier sex life. But how is CBD related to better sex? What is it about CBD that can have a positive effect on a person’s libido?

CBD Can Put People in the Right Mindset for Sex

There’s plenty of research available today suggesting that CBD can help to alleviate anxiety. [1] In fact, anxiety is one of the more common reasons why people use CBD, especially those who have no desire to experience the psychoactive effects that come along with CBD’s sister cannabinoid THC.

Anxiety can be debilitating in a number of ways, including in the bedroom. Some people may even go so far as to worry about their performance on a sexual level, which can further impede their pleasure level—and that of their partner—when it comes to intercourse.

However, with a reduced level of anxiety, people who use CBD may be able to set their worries aside and help stimulate the right mood needed to keep their sex drive up and have more positive thoughts going into the act.

Being less anxious and self-conscious about their appearance or performance can help them to calm down and just enjoy the experience, and CBD may be able to play a role in that.

CBD Can Reduce Pain Associated with Sex

Some people may experience pain when engaged in sexual intercourse, which can surely put a damper on a person’s libido. Approximately 7.5 percent of sexually active women between the ages of 16 to 74 years of age report experiencing pain during sex. [2]

CBD’s ability to alleviate pain [3] may play a role in boosting sex drive, which can help make the overall experience a more satisfying and enjoyable one. The receptors of the endocannabinoid system that are tasked with pain—among other things—can help reduce these uncomfortable feelings, no matter what the source may be.

Some people use CBD to target their arthritis in the knees and other joints, but others may be just as successful at obliterating the pain associated with sex through the use of CBD. It may even be possible to use topical CBD as a lubricant to counter any vaginal dryness, therefore making sex more pleasurable.

CBD May Increase Orgasms

There is some evidence to suggest that CBD may be linked to more orgasms in men. [4] Thanks to the increase in blood flow and enhanced sensation of nerves that CBD may be able to induce, orgasms could be magnified, in both women and men.

Final Thoughts

Some people go to great lengths to give their libido a boost and enhance their sex life. But could CBD be an effective supplement to add to the mix? There is certainly some anecdotal evidence to back that up, and the research that’s already been done up to now suggests a potential link between the two.

References:

  1. Blessing, E.M. et al, “Cannabidiol as a Potential Treatment for Anxiety Disorders”, Neurotherapeutics, October 2015, Vol,. 12(4), pp.825–836.
  2. Mitchell, K.R., et al, “Painful sex (dyspareunia) in women: prevalence and associated factors in a British population probability survey”, BJOG, October 2017, Vol. 124(11), pp.1689–1697.
  3. Russo, E.B., “Cannabinoids in the management of difficult to treat pain”, Therapeutics and Clinical Risk Management, February 2008, Vol. 4(1), pp.245–259.
  4. Klein, C., et al, “Circulating Endocannabinoid Concentrations and Sexual Arousal in Women“, The Journal of Sexual Medicine, June 2012, Vol. 9(6).

Photo credit: Women Now

About the author

Lisa Rennie

Lisa Simoneli Rennie has been working as a freelance writer for more than a decade, creating unique content dedicated to informing consumers. She enjoys sharing her knowledge and experience with others, and in her spare time, Lisa enjoys trying funky new recipes, spending time with her dog, and of course, reveling in the joy of family.