Global pandemic. Civil unrest. Economic devastation. It almost seems like a cruel, sick joke that one of the most disastrous years our country has ever seen can’t conclude without one of the most important elections in history. With a blatant admission by our current president that he will not go quietly if voted out of office—and he will claim foul play if the votes don’t get counted in his favor—there’s plenty to be stressed about. If all the talk about ballots is killing your boner, you’re not alone. Sure, four more years of Trump would likely mean more drastic rollbacks of key sexual health rights and liberties, but just the prospect of this happening is influencing people’s sex lives now. People’s libidos are going haywire.

Although some people’s sex drives are nonexistent in these times, others’ are sky high while some struggle in the middle, vacillating between the two extremes. The common culprit? Election stress—and it’s more powerful than you may think. “The level of stress people are experiencing rippling out around the uncertainty of the election results can also disrupt menstrual cycles, decrease fertility and lactation, and increase the possibility of miscarriage,” explains sex educator Domina Franco. “This is not just in your head. There are very real effects of stress all across the body—especially regarding our sexual functioning and experience around pleasure.”

For Michael, 35, of St. Louis, Trump-related stress affecting his sex drive is nothing new. After Trump was elected in 2016, he didn’t have sex for six weeks. “Some days it feels impossible to even get remotely aroused,” he says. “It’s not depression-related because I’ve had that in the past. This feels different.” With Election Day looming, he’s gone from an “every other day” man to an “every other week man.” “I’ve been trying—and failing—to force myself to feel a bit more sexual,” he says. “Nothing is working at this point.”

Why does it seem so hard to muster, well, getting hard? Although a dip in libido seems like an obvious result of stress, there’s another, less obvious, culprit: old messaging from ancient parts of the brain. “Chronic tension often heightens the interpretation of any stimuli as a threat—even something such as sex, which one might have historically considered positive and pleasurable,” Franco says. “Any form of intense stress can interfere with a desire to initiate sex and can also reduce typical genital response in a given individual. Experiencing that can, in turn, reduce the motivation to initiate sex to begin with, so it can be a vicious cycle.” It makes sense that our bodies—regardless of our genitalia—not being able to function “normally” due to upsetting news can be just as upsetting as the news itself (or the tweets through which we’re doom-scrolling).

Although some people’s libidos are down in the dumps, others have found theirs skyrocketing. It seems counterintuitive, but Franco says this is a more common response than you’d think. “Some people’s desire to engage in sex increases exponentially as they become more stressed because they are seeking physical release and a rush of oxytocin post-orgasm,” she explains. “Some people also want the psychological and physical escapism that engaging in sex can provide—even if it’s only momentary.”

Even though we’re stuck with either way more or way less privacy than before due to quarantine, some people are finding it more necessary to get off. Kate, 38, of Asheville, North Carolina, knows this experience firsthand. “I think I’ve been trying to complete the stress cycle by getting it out of my body, and orgasms are the quickest way out for me,” she says.

“Sex and pleasure without shame is a form of activism,” she explains. “Systems of oppression don’t want us satisfied and satiated. Orgasms: Do it for equity!” I couldn’t agree more. Finding and prioritizing pleasure during hard times is necessary for our survival, regardless of the election’s outcome.

Wherever you land on the spectrum—high, low or both—the impact of your “election libido” on life during a pandemic can sometimes feel hard to manage. But the key to whatever impediments your new libido throws your way is sitting with these uncomfortable feelings. “When I think about the election, my anxiety makes me so fearful that I can’t imagine having any desire for sex,” says Liz, 29, of Phoenix. “But when I think about how little time there is left in our democracy, I want to make it count and my libido skyrockets.” At the end of the day, it’s okay to be affected by what’s going on right now. After all, how could you not be?

“None of us are going to be able to fix how we currently feel, no matter where our political beliefs lie and no matter how much self-awareness we have,” Franco says. “We are just going to have to wait until all the results are in and we know what we are dealing with for the future of the country. Let yourself be a bit messy right now, because things are messy.” There is no point in making things harder by judging yourself for wanting more or less sex right now. Being gentle and kind with ourselves and our loved ones is of utmost importance.

What if a huge swing of negative feelings happens if your candidate doesn’t win? “You may have to accept that your libido might alter based on the election results,” Franco says. “Try your best to refrain from judging yourself and your reactions. Remind yourself that it’s okay to be upset, and it’s okay that these important aspects of our society are affecting us all deeply.”

Some helpful coping methods are exploring other ways to be kind to your body and give it pleasure. Explore pleasurable touch by yourself (masturbation, self-massage or baths, for example) or with members of your quarantine pod (massage or clothed or unclothed cuddling)—with consent, of course. And if touch just isn’t on the table for a while, it’s okay! Pamper yourself instead of pressuring yourself.

If you feel a flood of hopelessness or worry in the days leading up to the election, luckily the one thing we can rely on in life is change. Nothing ever stays one way forever. Post-election, you may go into a sexual hibernation or find you’re suddenly seeking more sexual activity. It will just take however much time it takes to come back to some sort of balance or homeostasis.

“As long as you are not being abusive, manipulative or harmful, however you manage is okay,” Franco says. “Whatever the outcome, you’re definitely going to need to give yourself some time to process and feel. And definitely seek out mental health support if necessary.”

Some names may have been changed.