Are you approaching menopause and worried that your sex life is deteriorating? Have you recently gone through menopause and wondering what your sex life will be like now? It is important to better understand the impact of menopause on sex life to better manage it.
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Although it remains true that sexual activity decreases with age, today’s seniors do not intend to give up all sexual life. In 1971, only 38% of women over 70 had sex. In 2000, they had risen to 56%! Sex life is now an integral part of the feeling of well-being, regardless of age. Nevertheless, the menopause represents an important turning point in the lives of women and is not without impact on sexual life.
The production of ovarian hormones drops, mainly estrogens and the progesterone. Women have to adapt to changes in their bodies, which are more or less painful depending on the individual. However, the first thing to know: the sexuality of women at the menopause greatly depends on their sexual experience before menopause. If you are satisfied with your sex life, do not fear the arrival of menopause: everything should be fine. So, is it possible to have great sex after menopause? Yes of course ! This is also the case for many women.
Medical aspects
If you are having difficulty with your sexuality — pains during intercourse, lack of desire, loss of pleasure — know that you can discuss this with your doctor well before the onset of menopause. This is also a subject that will certainly be addressed by your gynecologist when approaching this one.
- First, there are drug treatments to relieve the symptoms of menopause which are the puffs of heatthe sweats nocturnalthe sleeping troubles. General well-being is a prerequisite for having a fulfilling sexuality.
- Secondly, some postmenopausal women may experience vulvovaginal dryness, or even atrophy vulvo-vaginal making penetration painful. To treat this syndrome, different solutions are available. A local supply of estrogen (gelcream, eggs, ring) is generally very effective.
- Third, if you feel a loss of desire, do not feel guilty: it may be due to the drop in androgen production. There too, molecules exist. Talk to your doctor.
Psycho-social aspects
The state of psychological health of both members of the couple obviously has a significant impact on sexual desire and pleasure.
On the one hand, for some women, the dissociation between sexuality and reproduction can be a difficult step to overcome at the time of menopause. Even if there has been no child project for a long time, even if the woman has been on a contraceptive for years, the irreversible nature can be painfully experienced.
On the other hand, menopause causes bodily changes, namely a weight gaina modification of the fat distribution, the appearance of wrinkles, which can alter self-image. Finally, the menopause period can coincide with other difficult life events: departure of children from home, health problems of parents, difficulties of professional integration for seniors… It is a period where several factors can disrupt the person’s mental health and therefore impact their sex life.
In conclusion, a fulfilling sex life is quite possible and even desirable after menopause. Many events can interfere and disrupt the sexual life of women. For many of them, solutions exist: medicinal or psychological. It goes without saying that a good understanding in the couple is a prerequisite for a fulfilling sex life. A marriage therapist or counselor can effectively resolve situations and give the couple a second life.
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