Sex & The Menopause
Women often worry about their menopausal and post-menopausal sex life. This transformative time is an important phase in every woman’s life. The decrease in estrogen and testosterone can cause some discomfort during sex. Your body goes through a tremendous amount of change that may or may not affect your sex life and sexual function. Women often complain about becoming less sensitive to touch and having a lower desire. As the vaginal canal becomes less stretchy causing dryness, intercourse becomes a painful experience for women.
For some women, bodily changes can affect intimacy with your partner. The physical concerns caused due to menopause can lead to a decrease in your libido. Let's take a closer look at some of the most prominent concerns that women face during menopause.
Concerns and Solutions
As more and more women are having open conversations about their sex life concerns, the menopause is definitely one of the leading causes. Women’s health advocates have identified these common problems that lead to lower sex drive.
1.Vaginal Dryness
With reduced levels of estrogen and progesterone, there's an increased vaginal dryness that causes less natural lubrication. It can lead to bleeding and tightening of the vaginal opening, making intercourse an uncomfortable experience. As an effective solution to vaginal dryness, applying vaginal moisturizer regularly or vaginal estrogen therapy is highly recommended by experts. Consult your doctor and they will recommend an appropriate solution.
2.Low sexual desire
Sexual stimulation reduces drastically and it can take time to get aroused. This can be a long term or temporary concern. It can also be due to psychological or physical factors. No matter what the factors might be, identifying and addressing the concern with the help of your health expert will help you increase your sexual response.
3.Urinary Incontinence
Mild to severe leakage is a common problem amongst women of all ages. But as you grow older, urinary incontinence becomes an issue that could be due to stress. Due to these concerns, women start avoiding sex altogether. When you consult an expert, they can recommend several exercises to help reduce these surprise leaks. As this exercise help you achieve a well-toned genital muscle, the chances of having frequent and intense orgasms also increases.
4.Pain during intercourse
Most women going through post-menopausal issues often complaining about pain, especially during penetration. There's no question that pain makes sex an unsatisfying experience for women and we start refraining ourselves from it. Vaginal atrophy, urogenital inflammation and other chronic conditions and treatments are common causes of pain.
Tips to improve your sex life after menopause
The menopause causes several hormonal changes that can lead to physical and emotional effects. If you are looking to get back in the game and spice up your post-menopausal sex life, you've come to the right place. We have some expert tips lined up for women seeking help.
Use of lubricants
Find out what lubricants work best for you. Experts highly recommend water-based lubricants. Always consider the ingredients before you make the purchase decision. For instance, Propylene glycol is an ingredient that can lead to yeast infections and bacterial vaginosis amongst women. Another one would be chlorhexidine which is known to cause burning and irritation. You could also try natural alternatives like coconut oil and olive oil too. If you still find it difficult, a health expert opinion is always advisable.
Self-stimulation
Don't be wary about celebrating yourself and boosting your self-esteem. Self-pleasure is good for your sexual health. Using vibrators in the genital region results in increased blood flow and arousal.
-
Communication is key
Sex is all about intimacy and hence it's important to communicate how you feel emotionally and physically with your partner. It helps set a realistic expectation about what can both of you can strive to achieve.
Rebalance yourself with medication
Some physical concerns can always be rebalanced with effective treatment and medication. For instance, vaginal atrophy caused due to decreased estrogen is a common issue most women complain about. There are several therapies and medications that your health expert may recommend helping you overcome your discomfort. Hormonal replacement therapy can help cure both vasomotor symptoms and vulvovaginal atrophy.
Experiment with intercourse
If sex is causing you discomfort and pain, try experimenting with your positions and techniques. Explore together with your partner and make it a fun experience.
Aiding arousal and orgasm, raising libido and dealing with pain are often the most common concerns women complain about. Historically, women have always found sex during and after menopause to be a daunting issue. There's a lot of anxiety and frustration that's associated with it. It's all about working on yourself and enhancing your sexual well-being.
Understand your emotional and physical issues to find relevant solutions to them. If you are unhappy wth the changes you are experiencing, it's best to develop a treatment plan together with your doctor or counsellor or sex therapist. Depending on your concerns, you can foster new techniques to enhance the intimacy in your relationship by changing up sexual routines, focusing on foreplay and incorporating adult toys. Most women aren't prepared or well equipped with the knowledge to plan for the changes that come along with menopause. It doesn't have to be a miserable journey. Instead, you could start right away with good health practices and leading a healthy lifestyle. There's no doubt that the majority of women experience sex after menopause differently, but with some effort, knowledge and imagination, you can try making it a satisfying experience.
