Sex After Menopause:
After you go through menopause, your sexual desires can change, too. Pain and discomfort due to dryness is the biggest complaint see from postmenopausal people. If left untreated, dryness can cause vaginal atrophy and even fusing of the vaginal walls.
During the menopausal transition, blood flow to the vagina and clitoris decreases. If you usually need clitoral stimulation in order to orgasm, well, the resulting decrease in sensitivity can make orgasm more difficult to achieve. However, it is still possible to have good sex and experience an orgasm with a few changes to your routine and lifestyle.
She is the author of eight best-selling books, including The Essentials of Theater. Also, remember the positive things about sex during menopause! No more period-stained sheets, no more pregnancy concerns, hopefully no more toddlers interrupting you’sounds pretty good, right? Enjoy the new freedom this time brings ‘ you deserve it. You usually use a hormone-free moisturizer every 2 or 3 days for all-day moisture. They may also help improve the tissue in and around your vagina.
Her fields of interest include Asian languages and literature, Japanese translation, cooking, natural sciences, sex positivity, and mental health. In particular, she’s committed to helping decrease stigma around mental health issues. Sexual pleasure and satisfaction can change as you approach and pass menopause, yes. But creativity, communication, and a willingness to try new things can help you maintain a satisfying sex life for years to come.
Sexologist Emily Power Smith explains why education, masturbation, lubrication, and communication are key to great sex in these tips for people over 50 with a vagina. ‘The vagina is one of the few organs in the body that can age backward in response to treatment,’ see says Mihalov. Whether it’s just plain embarrassment or hesitation to bring up something that seems like a secondary issue, you may not love talking about sex with your doctor. But it’s the most important step if you want to get treatment, says Villarreal.
The goal of this therapy is to help vasomotor symptoms and vulvovaginal atrophy. Psychological symptoms, such as anxiety, stress, and depression, can also happen. These changes can affect sexual intercourse and sexual desire. Beyond whatever mysterious physiological changes might affect someone’s libido at this life stage, adjusting to menopause’s physical changes might play a role.
These are mixtures of hormones prepared by pharmacists and tailored to individual needs. Some people use herbs and supplements to reduce the effects of menopause, but research has not yet confirmed their safety or effectiveness. Some people have a sense of liberation that they no longer need to worry about pregnancy or menstruation. Many see it as the start of an exciting new stage in life, which they can approach with greater wisdom, confidence, and an ability to speak for themselves. Do not use non-water-soluble lubricants such as Vaseline, because they can weaken latex, the material used to make condoms. You or your partner should keep using condoms until your doctor confirms you’re no longer ovulating — and to prevent getting an STD.
There is also some evidence that moderate doses of testosterone can help women going through menopause increase their libido. Testosterone therapy also has potential negative side effects, including a risk for higher cholesterol and increased hair growth and acne. If you’re concerned about your low desire for sex, talk to your gynecologist or other healthcare professional. The answer might be as simple as changing a medicine that you take. Or you may need to get a condition such as high blood pressure or diabetes under tighter control.
And lower levels of estrogen also cause a decrease in blood flow to your vagina, which can make it less sensitive to touch and less receptive to physical arousal. Women’s health specialist Holly Thacker, MD, explains how menopause impacts sex and libido and what you can do to better understand your body’s morphing menopausal needs. A sex therapist or other mental health professional can also offer guidance with identifying other potential causes of decreased sexual enjoyment and exploring possible solutions.
It may help you lose weight, if you need to, and boost your self-esteem. Make sure to get treatment for any other medical conditions. Uncontrolled diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart click this link now disease can impact your sexual function. All of these symptoms can cause sex to feel uncomfortable or even painful. Some women might even experience a condition known as vaginal atrophy.
One of the most common symptoms of menopause is vaginal dryness, which can make sex uncomfortable and frustrating. These completely normal changes can still feel frustrating, in part because they affect the way sex feels and also your level of sexual desire ‘ declining sex drive is a common symptom of perimenopause. Quick treatment can prevent further tearing, as well as infection. Bartos and Faubion recommend that women use a form of vaginal estrogen to prevent further thinning and dryness. Some women may be on hormone therapy to address other menopausal symptoms, but local hormones may also be needed to address the vaginal symptoms.
But the journey that begins in menopause doesn’t have to be miserable or lonely. And often, society interprets menopause as negative, coloring women’s experience and journey with biases ‘ even before it begins. That doesn’t mean that you can’t be intimate with your partner ‘ whether you’re having intercourse with the help of lubricants, vaginal moisturizers or prescription drugs, or choosing other ways of staying connected. However, there are available options for lessening these side effects.