Sex during menopause? Of course, it's possible, but it's necessary to change your approach! Here are the tips and myths to debunk for a satisfying sex life.

Sexuality does not cease to exist

For many women, sex during menopause is a problem, but beyond the physical changes and commonplaces, sexuality does not cease to exist in maturity. 

 

Menopause: what happens

Menopause is the period in which the ovaries cease their activity and therefore also the production of estrogen and progestin hormones, and in which various changes occur both physically and emotionally.

Estrogen deficiency can cause vaginal dryness, dyspareunia (pain), mood and sleep disorders, hot flashes. The decline in interest in sex is often associated with the reduction in testosterone levels, a hormone naturally produced both by the ovaries and the adrenal glands.

The drop in desire is a matter of the mind

During menopause, libido can certainly decrease, but it must be said that hormones are only one of the many factors that contribute to normal sexual function; in fact, the sexual response largely depends on stimuli that come from the brain.

 

The decrease in desire in women and men at all ages is therefore due to a decrease in infatuation, the pressure of other concerns, stress, psychological factors, and conflicts with the partner.

 

Poor female sexual satisfaction is mainly caused by a lack of self-esteem, emotional discomfort or with one's own body, unsatisfactory interpersonal relationships, and with menopause these can become more acute. However, according to the expert, to overcome this problem we especially need to change our approach.

A different approach

The view of sexuality has changed thanks to sociocultural changes such as increased life expectancy and the recognition that female pleasure is always present. To make sexuality satisfying, menopause should not be considered as an illness or a misfortune, but as a change both physically and emotionally. Instead of continuing to regret youth, we should continue to dream and make discoveries through sex and the relationship with our partner.

 

Minimize physical changes!

The only physical factors that can negatively affect sexuality are a certain lack of muscle tone in the genital apparatus due to tissue relaxation, which can, however, be both prevented and reduced by training the pelvic muscles with the famous Kegel exercises, and poor lubrication which can be alleviated simply by using a lubricant.

Dealing with changes

Hormone replacement therapy may also be recommended, either orally or with a testosterone or phytoestrogen patch to balance hormone levels. In addition, special attention should be paid to diet, weight control, proper intake of soy isoflavones (i.e., phytoestrogens, which alleviate the most unpleasant symptoms) and vitamins A, C, and E. For bone health, foods rich in vitamin E, B6, B12, and folic acid with a protective function, vitamin D, calcium, zinc, and magnesium are recommended. Finally, physical activity should also be practiced: a daily 30-minute walk is enough.

 

It could even get better

The clitoris does not undergo changes during menopause. In fact, in older women, a slight hypertrophy may even be found due to the predominance of adrenal hormonal activity, and desire may even increase due to the disappearance of the antagonistic function of estrogens towards androgens.

 

A little help from surgery

For those who feel uncomfortable with their bodies, aesthetic medicine and intimate surgery can also be used to keep the external genital apparatus young, for example with dyeing and thickening of pubic hair, lipostructure of the labia majora, lifting of the mons pubis, vaginoplasty, and so on.