Story perspectives

Study Links Stress to Decreased Sexual Desire in Women

11/14/2025

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Summary

Story summary

A study in Austria finds that higher subjective stress correlates with lower sexual desire and arousal, especially among women.
Hanna M. Mües and colleagues studied 63 healthy, heterosexual participants aged 19–32 who reported arousal and stress daily with cortisol analysis.
Increased stress reduced sexual desire, and prior sexual activity linked to lower cortisol later.
The findings note limited generalizability due to the specific participant group.

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Story summary

A study in Austria finds that higher subjective stress correlates with lower sexual desire and arousal, especially among women.
Hanna M. Mües and colleagues studied 63 healthy, heterosexual participants aged 19–32 who reported arousal and stress daily with cortisol analysis.
Increased stress reduced sexual desire, and prior sexual activity linked to lower cortisol later.
The findings note limited generalizability due to the specific participant group.