Menopause And Lost Libido How To Feel Sexy Again
Menopause And Lost Libido How To Feel Sexy Again
As you go through menopause, you might notice that your sex drive or libido changes.
Most women will experience a decrease, while some women may experience an increase in libido.
In most cases, a lower sex drive during menopause is caused by a decrease in hormone levels.
Menopause can negatively affect libido in a few ways.
- Sexual arousal
During menopause, both your testosterone and estrogen levels decrease, which makes it more difficult for you to get aroused. - Vaginal dryness
Vaginal lubrication decreases, due to lower estrogen levels, which negatively affects blood supply in the vagina, making intercourse painful. - Vaginal atrophy
Lower levels of estrogen can also lead to thinning of the vaginal wall, known as vaginal atrophy.
Vaginal atrophy often leads to discomfort during sex. - Weight gain
You might gain weight during menopause.
Unfortunately, this can make you feel uncomfortable with your new body, leading to a decrease in sexual desire. - Hot flushes and night sweats
These are also common symptoms and can leave you feeling too tired for sex. - Mood symptoms
Such as depression and irritability, go hand in hand with menopause and leave you in no mood for feeling sexual
Menopause And Lost Libido How To Feel Sexy Again
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT)
HRT therapy can help to reduce vaginal dryness and vaginal atrophy by replacing the hormones your body is no longer making.
However, there are potential risks for estrogen therapy, including blood clots, heart attacks, and breast cancer.
Estrogen cream or vaginal ring
If you only have vaginal symptoms, an estrogen cream or vaginal ring might be a better choice for you.
Testosterone therapy
This may help you going through menopause by increasing your libido.
It does however pose potential negative side effects, including a risk for higher cholesterol and increased hair growth and acne.
Lubricant
A lubricant can ease vaginal dryness and help to make sex more comfortable.
This in turn reduces the stress associated with painful sex and helps to increase your libido.
Exercise
Exercise releases endorphins, reducing stress and helping to boost your mood.
The added bonus is that it helps combat weight gain.
Find an activity that you enjoy and know you will be able to stick with.
Stay sexually active
During menopause it is important to be intimate on a regular basis, to boost your self-confidence that you can still be sexually active.
Communication is key
Communicate with your partner, talk about your feelings, both physically and emotionally.
A marital or sex therapist can also play an important role in current and future sexual happiness.
Kegel exercises
These can help to enhance the sensation of sex and help to tighten your pelvic muscles.
How to do Kegel exercises:
- Find the right muscles
To pinpoint which are your pelvic floor muscles, stop urination in midstream.
Once you understand the position of your pelvic floor muscles you can do the exercises in any position, although you might find it easiest to do them lying down at first. - Perfect your technique and imagine you are sitting on a marble and tightening your pelvic muscles as if you’re lifting the marble.
Hold for 3 seconds at a time and relax for a count of 3. - Maintain your focus by only tightening your pelvic floor muscles.
Do not tilt the muscles in your abdomen, thighs or buttocks and avoid holding your breath. - Repeat 3 x times a day and aim for at least 3 sets of 10 to 15 repetitions a day.
Don’t do Kegel exercises to start and stop your urine stream as this can lead to not emptying the bladder completely, thereby increasing the risk of a urinary tract infection.
Sources
mayoclinic.org – low sex drive in women
menopause.org – decreased desire
mayoclinic.org – vaginal atrophy
clevelandclinic.org – Kegel exercises
Have you noticed a change of smell latley?
A change of smell is very often due to a change in the levels of bacteria in the vagina.
This can be easily solved by taking a vaginal probiotic.
Beware of vaginal deodorants that are widely advertised as many of them contain chemicals, that can possibly affect the friendly bacteria even more.
Look for one that does not contain any additives.
These are usually gentle enough for sensitive areas and won’t interfere with your friendly bacteria and can help to get rid of the not so helpful bacteria.
Change of smell often goes hand in hand with a change of the mucus levels.
You might find that your vaginal mucus or discharge gets stickier and there might be a change in color.
This often is due to a change in hormone levels and is very common during peri-menopause where your estrogen and progesterone levels are still in a bit of a cycle.
If your estrogen levels start to rise, this will trigger the cervix to produce mucus, as such the cervix will be over-stimulated, producing a lot of mucus.
Source:
webmd.com – what to know about changing vaginal smell
Why am I bleeding after intercourse?
Because of a drop in estrogen levels your vaginal walls are less elastic, they become really thin and your mucus production decreases.
The friction that occurs during intercourse can be enough to irritate, damage, and possibly tear parts of the vaginal wall.
This will often trigger some bleeding and in most cases is just a few spots of blood.
If, however, there is a lot of bleeding, it would be best to consult your gynecologist for advice.
