Is There Sex After Menopause?

Turning 50 doesn't need to mean the end of your sex life.  In fact, many women are just hitting their stride.

The physical changes associated with menopause, however, can pose potential barriers to achieving and maintaining a satisfying sex life.  While some women may feel sexually liberated—free from fertility—others may lose confidence with the changes in their sexuality. Vaginal changes such as thinning walls, loss of flexibility, less lubrication, dryness, itchiness and burning can affect sexual pleasure.

The fact remains, emotional and physical changes can lead some women to shy away from sex during menopause—because they just don't feel sexy. In a recent survey of Canadian women, 34 per cent of women indicated that they have experienced these vaginal changes, also known as vulvovaginal atrophy, and 14 per cent said they have experienced painful intercourse.

“Maintaining an active sex life is important for every adult woman at any age, and there are a variety of options for women to choose from to alleviate these symptoms and help them regain their self-confidence,” said Dr. Vivien Brown, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto. “For example, hormone therapies, like topical estrogen creams, can help women manage these vaginal changes.”

Menopause can be a challenging time but through consultation with your doctor, women can resolve many of the issues they are experiencing, and continue a healthy and active sex life.

“Women need to keep the conversations going.  They should talk to both their doctor and their partner about what they are experiencing and how they are feeling,” says Dr. Brown. “Women need to remember with healthy lifestyle choices life after fifty can be and should be  fabulous.”

www.newscanada.com

Sources:

The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada: The Menopause Handbook. http://www.sogc.org/health/pdf/menopause-for-public-e.pdf. Accessed April 2011.

Menopause and You Survey 2011. Leger Marketin