Why Sexual Function Changes Are Often Mechanical, Not Hormonal

Hormones get blamed for a lot. Some of it is fair. Some of it is lazy.

When sexual function changes, the assumption is often that something chemical has gone wrong. Labs get run. Numbers get stared at. Supplements get purchased. And sometimes, yes, hormones matter. But very often, they’re not the main character in this story.

Mechanical factors quietly shape sexual function every day.

Prolonged sitting, postural compression, chronic tension, and stress change how tissues move, how blood circulates, and how nerves communicate. Over time, these factors can reduce responsiveness and coordination without altering hormone levels at all. Everything looks “normal” on paper, yet the experience in the body feels different.

The pelvis does not exist in isolation. It’s influenced by the spine, hips, diaphragm, and nervous system. When these systems are under constant load, function can become less accessible. Not absent. Just harder to reach.

This is why many people feel dismissed when labs come back normal. The issue isn’t imaginary. It’s just not chemical.

Addressing mechanical contributors like compression, circulation, and nervous-system regulation often changes the experience of function without needing to “fix” hormones that were never broken.

Sometimes the body doesn’t need more chemistry. It needs more room.

Related reading: How Sitting Is Killing Your Sex Life (and Your Orgasm) by Joanna Iris