Sensation that has gone muted or far away is easy to mistake for loss of attraction and easy for a partner to take personally. It has a short list of causes, several of which are mechanical and reversible, and one of which needs urgent attention.
How common: Reported far less often than desire or pain, largely because people have no language for it. It appears in the reporting for several medicine classes and is a recognised effect of nerve compression and of some products.
See someone about this if
Numbness in the saddle area — the parts that would touch a bicycle seat — together with any change in bladder or bowel control, or weakness in the legs, is a medical emergency. Go to emergency care the same day; this can indicate compression of the nerves at the base of the spine.
Numbness that is spreading, or that comes with weakness anywhere, needs prompt assessment.
Narrow it down
This page narrows the question; it does not answer it. Everything below is written so that you can walk into an appointment with a date, a pattern, and a specific thing to ask — which is the difference between a consultation that goes somewhere and one that does not.
Has a delay spray, numbing gel, or 'long-lasting' condom been used?
That is the explanation until proven otherwise, and it resolves as soon as the product stops.
1 classes of commonly prescribed medicine are associated with reduced genital sensation. Associated does not mean responsible in your case, and it never means stop taking anything — this is a list of things worth raising with whoever prescribed them.
SSRI antidepressantsSometimes reportedThe most commonly reported cause of medicine-related orgasm delay.
5 conditions on this site list reduced genital sensation among their effects. A condition appearing here is not a suggestion that you have it — it is a list of things a clinician can rule in or out, several of which are a single blood test away.
Multiple sclerosisCommonly reportedDirect nerve effects, plus fatigue, plus the medicines — all three at once.
Spinal cord injuryCommonly reportedLevel and completeness determine what remains — and a great deal usually remains.
DiabetesSometimes reportedDamages the small blood vessels and nerves that arousal depends on.
Pelvic floor dysfunctionSometimes reportedMuscles too tense or too weak — and the most under-referred treatable cause here.
Prostate cancer treatmentSometimes reportedErection, ejaculation, and desire all change — and rehabilitation exists.
The most immediately reversible cause, and one people frequently do not connect.
Benzocaine and lidocaine in 'delay' sprays, gels, and some condoms — these remove sensation by design and transfer to a partner.
Anything sold as long-lasting or climax-control almost always contains one of them.
Nerve causes
Where the signal is being interrupted somewhere between the tissue and the brain.
Prolonged cycling pressure on the perineum, which is genuinely common and improves with saddle and position changes.
Diabetes-related nerve damage, multiple sclerosis, and spinal problems.
Pelvic or spinal surgery, and radiotherapy.
Medicines and hormones
Both can reduce how much the tissue registers, independently of the nerves themselves.
SSRI antidepressants, where reduced genital sensation is a recognised report.
Low oestrogen thinning the tissue, and low testosterone reducing its sensitivity.
Things in the bottle that make this worse
Numbing agents in the product
Sold as delay sprays, climax-control gels, and 'long-lasting' condoms. They remove the signal rather than changing anything about it, and they transfer to a partner.
Stop any numbing product and give it a few days before drawing conclusions.
If you cycle, change the saddle and the position before concluding anything else.
Sensation that is reduced rather than absent usually still responds to more direct stimulation and to more time.
Take these to an appointment
Could this be a nerve problem, and should it be examined?
Could any of my medicines be responsible?
Would checking glucose and hormone levels be appropriate?
Common questions
What causes genital numbness?
Sensation that has gone muted or far away is easy to mistake for loss of attraction and easy for a partner to take personally. It has a short list of causes, several of which are mechanical and reversible, and one of which needs urgent attention. The causes worth ruling out fall into a few groups: numbing products, nerve causes, medicines and hormones, and medicines. Most people turn out to have more than one contributing at once.
How common is genital numbness?
Reported far less often than desire or pain, largely because people have no language for it. It appears in the reporting for several medicine classes and is a recognised effect of nerve compression and of some products.
Can medication cause genital numbness?
Yes — 1 classes of commonly prescribed medicine are associated with it. Never stop, pause, or change a prescribed medicine because of that; take the observation and the date it started to the person who prescribed it, who can weigh a review against what the medicine is doing for you.
When should I see someone about genital numbness?
Sooner than most people do. Specifically and without waiting: Numbness in the saddle area — the parts that would touch a bicycle seat — together with any change in bladder or bowel control, or weakness in the legs, is a medical emergency. Go to emergency care the same day; this can indicate compression of the nerves at the base of the spine.
What can I do about genital numbness myself?
Stop any numbing product and give it a few days before drawing conclusions. If you cycle, change the saddle and the position before concluding anything else. Sensation that is reduced rather than absent usually still responds to more direct stimulation and to more time.
Educational information about why a symptom happens — not a diagnosis, and not a way to work out what is wrong with you. Most of these changes have more than one cause at once, and the causes on this page overlap. Nothing here can examine you, look at your history, or run a test. Pain, bleeding, a lump, or a symptom that is new and unexplained always deserves assessment.