Sex has stopped bringing joy, although there is no pain. Why does this happen and what to do about it?

According to a study of the histories of 484 women, the strongest associations with sexual distress were decreased desire, as well as anxiety and depressive symptoms — but their independent effect disappeared when all factors were considered together. A history of trauma, including sexual abuse, was found to be an independent predictor of severe distress. Pain during sex in this analysis did not itself show a significant association with distress — possibly it is masked by other factors. If this applies to you, it is worth starting with a conversation with a doctor, and ideally involving a psychotherapist and other specialists: loss of desire is not a personal failure, but a symptom that can be addressed.