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To enjoy a sexual health in menopause is possible and does depend on a person’s strong desire to continue taking care of herself during menopause which will last for the rest of her life. Woman’s ovaries still keep producing some hormones, including estrogen and testosterone, until she’s 65. Obviously, those hormones are in much lesser amounts, and the more we can keep of them, the better our health will be. Sex is the key as we age to maintain our hormones
Sex is a great way to generate and increase our hormones, as well as balance them.
A Scottish Study shows that couples who have sex three or more times a week look 10 years younger than their counterparts! A healthy sex does keep us feel and look younger. Much younger.
Estrogen increases the release of oxytocin, the “love” hormone that is made in ovaries and brain in women, and in men, in the testes. As women lose estrogen as they near menopause, they lose the ability to release oxytocin. Thus it is important to keep the neural cells alive through healthy sex and intimacy.
Your life can be equally satisfying during menopause. Knowing the fact about it and constantly educating yourself using reputable sources create your own “library” of knowledge and know-how and dependable point of reference.
What is the Best Hormone Therapy for Menopause?
Hormone therapy is pretty controversial, although I don’t think it needs to be. Every woman is different – so her choices will be different.
Theoretically, we could all use hormone addition because we are losing hormones as we age.
But the reality shows that adding hormones can increase certain health risks because hormones are powerful signalling molecules. Even just a tiny dose can change our bodies dramatically.
Learn about Hormonal Disbalances and Health Benefits of CBD for Women to manage such.
Things to consider when we are faced with hormone therapy questions:
1. Genetic risk – if there’s stroke, cancer, heart disease in the family then you’re not a good candidate for hormones
2. Lifestyle – do you have a very intense, busy lifestyle in which you need the “buffer” that hormones can give you to get through a day.
3. Other conditions – do you have extreme menopausal symptoms that are severely interfering with your daily life?
Keep in mind that women can go through an early menopause as young as their early 30s, and some medical conditions induce a menopausal state even at an earlier age.
In my opinion, we have to explore all the available options to do our body good.
You may want to explore different options when it comes choosing different products for your intimate parts of the body. One of the best companies out there to offer clean, non-toxic products for perimenopause and menopause is Damiva. Explore their current all-natural and non-hormonal skincare for other parts of the body HERE.
Check out the Non-Hormonal Options for the Perimenopause and Menopause Symptoms.
Sexual Intimacy Can Prevent Vaginal Dryness, Atrophy and Future Prolapse
When we talk about sexual health in menopause, we cannot but speak out loud about vaginal dryness. This serious condition can lead not only to a great discomfort, it can cause disruption in your intimate relationships by causing a painful sex.
Painful Sex After Menopause and How Women Can Address and Treat It
Vaginal atrophy (tissue loss) arises from a combination of:
1. Lack of circulation
2. Loss of tissue, and
3. Changes in vaginal pH.
Atrophy can lead to prolapse, where an organ protrudes out of the vagina, leading to incontinence.
Having regular intercourse can help with maintaining the vaginal tract in terms of circulation and tissue health.
The statistics are about 1 in 8 women will experience prolapse. But the pelvic health experts I speak to believe that it’s much higher, because as we age, the higher the risk we have for prolapse. There just aren’t enough studies that can give us the real numbers.
Intimacy and sexual life after menopause can be different, but it does not mean that women need to be afraid of losing their ability to achieve orgasm or female arousal after menopause.
Non-Hormonal Products for Vaginal Dryness
Vaginal dryness happens not only during menopause. It frequently occurs during the PMS as well, and many women are suffering without reaching out for help. There are many effective options that can drastically change how you feel down there while using natural, hormone Free feminine products.
Learn how to know that you have Vaginal Dryness and What You Can Do with It in this detailed post.
Another group of products that are 100% made with natural ingredients that sooth and heal our skin come from Damiva. Chia Chia Sun, Damiva’s Founder and Formulator, has an amazing sense of seeing ahead of her times. Check out her story and learn about woman’s healthy aging and preparation for menopause supported with gentle, yet effective feminine products.
Intimacy In Menopause Can Be Life Changing
AARP and Dr. Christiane Northrup’s survey of 8,000 couples gives amazing tips on how to maintain intimacy in pre-menopause and menopause.
Intimacy is not just about sex. Approximately 25% of couples who report being “very happy” together are not having sex or rarely have it. Take a look at the table below with interesting results from the survey.
Some of the suggestions by psychologists are to take proactive steps towards your intimate connections. Whatever you choose to do, it will prolong your life and improve well-being.
Frequency of sex differing in couples is common.
There are ways to bridge the gap such as:
1. Understanding the reasons for needs behind sex
2. Scheduling sex (and keeping to it)
Scheduling sex sounds quite boring, but it’s very effective. As a technique recommended by many sex therapists, there are lots of ways to vary the routine.
3. Kissing, cuddling, saying I love you.
Do a lot of hugging and kissing. Psychologists believe that children need 12 hugs a day for maintenance and even more for growth. Studies have shown that couples who begin the day with even a 10 second kissing and hugging routine have significantly lower rates of divorce.
Check out on Health Benefits of Kissing at any stage of our life. You may be surprised!
My friends who are medical experts say that #2 is really key and can help resolve a lot of tensions in-between sex dates.
Older women are generally happy with their sex lives.
In the American Journal of Medicine, 61% of women age 40 to 99 report being satisfied with their sex lives. And older women reported twice as often than youngest participants that they were “very satisfied” with their sex lives and their arousal after menopause, with both groups equally happy with their ability to achieve orgasm.
In addition, ensure that you have an understanding of STDs, which are on the rise in older men and women.
Sexual health in menopause is one of the top worries of women. However these worries can be avoided when we prepare ourselves with the facts about menopause way long before of its onset.
Check out the Signs of Menopause in Peri-Menopause Symptoms
39 thoughts on “Sexual Health In Menopause Is A Prerequisite for A Lifelong Intimacy”
I wish this would have been available 27 years ago. I went into menopause when I was 23 and couldn’t take hormone replacement and it really changed me, changed everything. I finally got something for the dryness and pain during sex from my doctor about 7 years ago. I feel sorry for what my ex husband went through with me. But yes find solutions to your problems and try to prevent any if you can take the advice people offer. Thank you for this I love it
Paula,
This is devastating what you’ve gone through. Life’s experiences that put you through this tough ride.
Thank you for sharing it.
Yes, our sexual health is important to the connection with ourselves and our partner in life.
Menopause has a lot of misconceptions linked to it. One should not look at it as the end of something. Instead it’s a transition from one phase of life to another. Working on post menopause health makes the transition smoother.
What an interesting topic, have never thought about “what happens” (or not lol) when I’m getting older..
I have not thought about it, but as my wife almost entering the age, this post is a kind of eye-opener. Thanks for sharing.
Even though I’m a man, it helps to understand what my wife would be going through as she gets older and how to help her.
Wow! This post is written in a beautiful and effective way. This is very relatable and I am so happy that people are open about talking about sexual health during menstruation. Many people think that menopause is the end of sexual life. But it is so important!
I got lot of new information I did not know. I love that couples who kiss and hug in the morning haw lower chance of getting divorce
This is really interesting. My aunt went through menopause early and I am quite worried that I will too (only 24 now so I know I still have plenty of time!). Didn’t realise people use hormone therapy, though…
I think that menopause and it’s effects on a woman’s body are not subjects as discussed as other female health topics. Women should be informed on what is going to happen to their body and what options they have to continue leading a normal life.
I have been through menopause without the awful symptoms or side effects. I was reading through your post and it seems I am not a candidate for hormone replacement, given my wonderful genetic history of stroke and cancer. I agree with keeping a healthy intimate relationship even after menopause, and that does not always mean having sex.
This was such a fascinating read. I am absolutely going to pass it along to my mom, and keep it in my bookmarks for when I’m in that stage of life!
Super love the post, really really do!!! I think between a couple, the most crucial thing is communication. What i mean by communication is to talk about our fears, needs, you know what I mean?
My husband will be happy to know that couples who have sex 3 times a week look younger than their counterparts. I had no idea that sex helped to maintain hormones. Thanks for all the info.
Lisa,
Intimacy is am amazing thing. It is not just a physical satisfaction. With that comes a state of creativity, self-confidence and wild successes in life.
Sexual connections are powerful when they are meaningful, i.e., when we engage with a person we truly love and feel connection to.
Both women and men should understand this. We tend to ignore it, this post is amazing
Krystel,
Ditto to this.
It is especially important that men do understand this stuff to become better companions, partners and lovers to their women in their lives.
I am glad I have gone thru this. Probably would tell my grandparents on stuff I learned from here. Very interesting facts.
Hi Ruth,
You are so cool!
I love the fact that you can talk to your grandparents about these things!
There is so much amazing information here. It is very important to keep things normal during this time.
Kita,
Yes, it is super important to make new life in menopause a New Normal.
The more we know and are prepared to handle the changes, we will be happy and fulfilled.
This was a really interesting read. There is so much I didn’t know. Who knew sex and intimacy could do so much?
Sherry,
Glad it supplied to you valuable information.
Yes, sex and intimacy are the cornerstones for our creativity, success and peace inside, to mention just a few.
This is such a helpful article. I am only 38 but my husband is about 6 years older, so we’ve been certainly discussing this topic as we start to look towards our future intimacy.
Brandy,
It is really awesome you are including your hubby in the discussion.
Women will live in the menopause “era” longer than anything they’ve been through in their physical bodies.
The men gotta go with us along this path.
I’m almost 50 and found this most informative. I love that there are health benefits to be gained by kissing!
Angela,
Kissing is a prevention of many psychological and physical disorders and disconnect between a couple.
Keep kissing every single day!
Sometimes life gets busy and if you do not schedule sex it may not happen. I am entering menopause and found this post very helpful. I look forward to everything balancing out for me.
Lisa,
Glad you found it helpful.
Yes, you will balance things out, only so much better now that you know it!
I had no idea that sex helped to maintain hormones. This was super interesting and def makes sense in the overall picture of things.
Amy,
Glad you’ve picked up something for yourself.
Yes, sexual activity does keep our hormones working and releasing into the bloodstream. So helpful to maintain all of our functions and beauty, too.
I never even thought of this, though I should because I’m getting up there in age and I know that menopause is right aroudn the corner.
Heather,
The more we know, the better we are prepared. Or something like that.
Thank you for such a great article. I did not realize that making sure you have an active sex life helps you look younger over time. LOL Don’t tell my husband.
Brianne,
Intimacy based on the trusted relationships makes wonders within our physical bodies and inside our soulful existence. And it allows us to maintain our youthful appearances and well-being.
My husband would love to hear that sex is good as we age. I do want to stay young looking so off to fun we go.
Tara,
It is one of the best ways to keep our physical bodies alive and our minds and souls happy, creative and productive,
I love how in-depth you were on this post. This is an issue that women just don’t talk about that much. I think we need to remember that menopause doesn’t have to be the end of everything intimate.
Bianca,
Ditto on that! Menopause is the next phase with a drastic hormonal change. We need to reach out to our own bodies and learn about them all the time we are here on this earth.