Higher stress is associated with reduced sexual functioning in general. Women who had higher levels of cortisol (the stress hormone) and lower levels of DHEA (the sex hormone) after watching an erotic movie experienced less physiological arousal than women with a lower cortisol/DHEA ratio. Prolonged stress has been shown to decrease sexual response in women, and women with greater levels of chronic daily stress report more sexual complaints.
Stress can interfere with sex on a psychological level, too. Cognitive distraction (thinking or worrying about problems) interferes with sexual functioning. So if you are ruminating about multiple stressors, it will be difficult to put your full attention on either your partner or your own sensations and responses.”
https://adrenalfatigue.org/lets-talk-about-sex-and-stress-the-effects-of-stress-on-sex-drive/
Link between Stress, HPA-Axis Dysfunction and Sexual Dysfunction in Men
When it comes to arousal in men, there is a delicate dance going on between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. If a man is too stressed out, as is the case with PTSD, he is locked in sympathetic arousal mode, which triggers excess cortisol. As I said, cortisol has disastrous effects on male sexuality.
Sexual Desire
Chronic stress, ongoing stress over an extended period of time, can affect testosterone production, resulting in a decline in sex drive or libido, and can even cause erectile dysfunction or impotence. https://www.apa.org/helpcenter/stress/effects-male-reproductive
Reproduction
Chronic stress can also negatively impact sperm production and maturation, causing difficulties in couples who are trying to conceive. Researchers have found that men who experienced two or more stressful life events in the past year had a lower percentage of sperm motility (ability to swim) and a lower percentage of sperm of normal morphology (size and shape), compared with men who did not experience any stressful life events.
https://www.apa.org/helpcenter/stress/effects-male-reproductive
In summary, the chronic stress associated with PTSD causes excess cortisol production. Excess cortisol lowers the production of testosterone and DHEA, both of which are linked to suboptimal sexual performance in men and women respectively.
How to Reverse Sexual Dysfunction that Accompanies PTSD
Whenever treating a condition, it’s vital to treat the cause rather than the symptom. So, rather than throwing aphrodisiac herbs at your testicles or ovaries, let’s truly get to the bottom of the problem—if you’ll pardon my pun.
Sexual dysfunction associated with PTSD is linked to HPA-Axis dysfunction, which triggers excess cortisol production, which, in turn, lowers the hormones needed for sexual arousal and function.
We know that magnesium supplementation reverses HPA-Axis dysfunction and PTSD.
Research also shows that magnesium directly reduces cortisol levels. Because excess cortisol is the underlying cause of the sexual dysfunction that the majority of PTSD sufferers face, it stands to reason that magnesium should be the first line of treatment for those with PTSD who also suffer sexual dysfunction.
Magnesium is a natural, drug-free remedy for both conditions.