Menopause is the time in a woman’s life when she stops menstruating and thus can no longer bear children, according to Net Doctor. While the hormonal changes in a menopausal woman’s body can wreak havoc on previously enjoyed activities, including intercourse, this phase in life does not necessarily mean the end of sex, notes “Woman’s Day Magazine.”
Types Of Symptoms
During menopause, a number of uncomfortable symptoms can cause decreased sexual interest, according to Net Doctor. Vaginal dryness usually happens with menopause and can make intercourse painful in some cases. Hot flashes and sweating attacks are usually rare but can cause plenty of discomfort that makes sex seem unimportant by comparison.
Causes Of Symptoms
Reduced estrogen production accompanies menopause and often causes symptoms like vaginal dryness as well as loss of elasticity in the vagina, according to Net Doctor. Decreased estrogen levels also tend to reduce sexual desire, especially in women who didn’t necessarily always enjoy sexual relations before menopause.
Treatments
Taking estrogen can help increase sexual desire but carries plenty of adverse side effects and thus must be used sparingly and with a doctor’s supervision, according to Net Doctor. Also, over-the-counter creams and lubricants can help alleviate vaginal dryness and make intercourse more enjoyable, according to “Woman’s Day Magazine.”
Incidence Of Sexual Difficulties
About 20 to 45 percent of menopausal women suffer from decreased sex drive, according to Epigee. Sometimes the reduced libido isn’t necessarily caused by decreased estrogen levels in the body, but rather by women believing societal myths such as that older people should not even try to have sex, notes “Woman’s Day Magazine.” A poor body-image before menopause also makes a woman more likely to avoid sex for emotional reasons after menopause.
Warnings
Women can still contract sexually transmitted diseases after menopause, notes “Woman’s Day Magazine.” Avoiding unprotected sex is still important even though pregnancy can’t happen once menopause is completed. Also, sometimes women use testosterone treatments to try to combat decreased sexual desire, according to Epigee. This practice is still too new to be studied and might be unsafe due to a potential risk of causing cancer in women.
Photo Credit
- smiling couple image by Faith Ashurst from Fotolia.com
