As women approach the age of menopause, they tend to notice a decrease in libido. With age, the libido and sexual drive change as well. While some women experience an increase in libido, some women don’t. However, the libido changes in the body are common, but the decrease in libido is the most common scenario.[1] Low libido is mostly during the changes in the hormonal levels.
Decreased hormonal levels also lead to several changes in the body, such as vaginal dryness and tightness. This can, however, be one of the main reasons why women experience pain during sex. Moreover, menopause can also make women less interested in sex. Some of the common symptoms of menopause include the following
- Weight gain
- Depression
- Hot flashes
- Mood swings
The loss of libido is going to impact your lifestyle and sex drive.[2] Often you may prefer following the natural remedies, but if these do not work, you may prefer reaching out to the doctor to find the treatment.
Why does menopause affect libido?
The lowered level of estrogens in the body can lead to lower levels of blood flow across the vagina. This eventually leads to vaginal and labial muscles to become thin. As a result, your body will become less active and sensitive owing to the sexual stimulation.[3]
Low blood flow across the body will eventually have an impact on lubrication and arousal. This may eventually make it problematic for women to have sex and may also make it hard for them to achieve orgasm. During this time, sex may either be painful or uncomfortable.
The abrupt changes in hormonal levels in perimenopause and menopause can make it hard for the women because it impacts their mental health. This eventually leads to reduced libido.
Not only menopause, but increased stress may also have an impact on the woman’s libido.[4] The changing hormonal levels will make it tough for women, thereby making her more irritated and depressed. As a result, every woman has a different healing process.
Apart from menopause, some of the other factors that can result in lowered libido in women include the following
- History of chronic health disease
- A prolonged history of smoking
- Not being physically active
If any of these conditions are affecting the libido, it is necessary to see the doctor discuss the sex drive.[5]
When should you see a doctor?
If you are undergoing menopause and have been noticing changes in your libido, you need to get in touch with a doctor who can help you through the process. Based on your condition, the doctor will offer you treatments such as
- Over-the-counter medicines
- Prescription medicines
- Home remedies
If your sex drive has decreased at a significant level, the doctor may recommend you reach out to professionals. In certain conditions, you might as well need to see a sex therapist find the real reason behind decreased libido. Also, marital counseling can be of great help to determine the cause along with your partner.
Does menopause lower sex drive in all women?
One of the most important things to consider is whether menopause lowers the sex drive in all women or not.[6] Well, it does not. Since everyone is different, they tend to suffer differently. A number of women have stated that they noticed improved sex drive after menopause.
One of the main reasons why women suffer from lower sex drive is due to anxiety-related issues.[7] During the postmenopausal period, women don’t need to be worried about child-bearing responsibilities. Thus, they have a great time relaxing and can enjoy better intimacy with the partners as well.
Can women improve sex drive during and after menopause?
One of the prominent ways through which women can contribute to improved sex drive includes estrogen replacement. However, in such cases, it is necessary to conduct more research to determine better results. Estrogen replacement can also help make sex less painful. This is usually because estrogen replacement helps in removing vaginal dryness.
Different doctors have stated that the combination of estrogen and male hormone androgen can also help boost the sex drive, mostly in women.[8]
Discussing sex problems with your doctor may eventually be harsh, but it’s not weird. You can always work towards consulting your doctor. The therapist can offer you to undergo sexual counseling along with your partner but individually.
Can I improve intimacy with my partner?
Although your sex drive has dropped at a significant rate, you can always work towards increasing intimacy with your partner. There is absolutely no way through which the love between you people has decreased.
You can always be affectionate towards your partner. You do not have to have sex to spark love. Spending time together is enough to improve intimacy with your partner.[9] But, there are a number of other ways too through which you can enhance physical intimacy with your partner. Some of them may include
- Consider experimenting with your partner and bringing changes in sexual routines.
- Work towards relaxing yourself rather than becoming more anxious.
- Foreplay is one of the best ways to enhance sexual intimacy with your partner. Oral sex and sensual massage can be of great help to make you and your partner connect with each other.
- Experimenting with different sexual positions can be of great help to lower pain. Determining the depth of penetration will be of great help to relax during sex. You might as well use vaginal lubricants to ease the pain for friction.
Kegel Exercise
Kegel Exercises can be of great help for increasing the strength around the pelvic muscles. Apart from that, these are also responsible for enhancing sensations during sex. It is essential to be familiar with the muscles to perform kegel exercises accurately.[10] You can practice stopping peeing midstream to ensure that the pelvic floor muscles are tightened.
Moreover, you might as well follow different libido boosters such as Spanish Fly Pro to bring changes in your body.
You might as well prefer seeking therapy with your partner to enhance the overall mood. Understanding what works the best for you during menopause can be helpful for managing reduced libido. The loss of libido during menopause is mostly due to lower hormonal levels. You need to get in touch with professionals to ensure the best therapy for you.
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507826/
[2] Polo-Kantola P, Rantala MJ. Menopause, a curse or an opportunity? An evolutionary biological view. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2019 Jun;98(6):687-688. [PubMed]
[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5994393/
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[5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6487288/
[6] Heidari M, Ghodusi M, Rafiei H. Sexual self-concept and its relationship to depression, stress and anxiety in postmenopausal women. J Menopausal Med. 2017;23:42–48. [PMC free article]
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[8] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5365345/
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