Menopause is the end of a women’s menstrual cycle. It occurs when a women stops having her periods and can no longer reproduce. Although every woman goes through menopause, its effects vary. In addition to other physical and emotional effects, menopause tends to affect women’s sexual lives as well.
If you are concerned about the adverse effects of menopause on your sexual life, please do not hesitate to seek assistance from the best Sexologist in Karachi or your area of residence.
In the meantime, the list mentioned below in this article, provides you a preliminary idea of the some of the sexual side effects of menopause that you may have started to experience, or are likely to experience in the future.
Table of Contents
Reduced Libido (Sexual Desire)
According to research, sexual desire decreases with age for both women as well as men. However, it is said that since woman’s estrogen hormone levels are changing, they are two to three times more likely to feel a decrease in sexual urges.
Vaginal Dryness
Since estrogen levels decrease post menopause, it can also cause a decrease in your natural vaginal lubrication. Vaginal dryness then results in more painful or more uncomfortable sex. However, this problem can be countered by using over-the-counter (OTC) lubricants or vaginal moisturizers.
Decreased Pleasure
After menopause, it is also common for women to have decreased sexual pleasure. This is because in some cases, vaginal dryness can couple with reduced blood flow to the clitoris as well as the lower vagina. This, in turn, can lead to reduced sensitivity of woman’s erogenous zones. As a result, many women experience fewer or less intense orgasms. It can also take more time and effort to achieve an orgasm.
Painful Penetration
Another common side effect of menopause is a phenomenon known as dyspareunia. Dyspareunia refers to painful intercourse. Many reasons can contribute to this condition, including vaginal dryness and thinning of the vaginal tissues. For some women, this causes a general sense of discomfort during sexual intercourse. In other cases, women experience severe pain, in addition to soreness and burning. All of this makes intercourse difficult and thus, less pleasurable and desirable.
Emotional Distractions
Menopause often also results in increased mood swings, as well as contributes to a number of emotional problems such as stress, depression, and anxiety. Effects on emotional well being are then bound to have consequences on sexual activity as well. This is because our mental wellbeing plays a huge role in sexual desire, arousal, as well as satisfaction.
Menopause can sometimes lead to a more distressed mental state. A woman may end up feeling fatigued and exhausted as a result of hormone shifts, night sweats, etc. At other times, she may simply be more stressed and emotional than normal. These feelings could adversely affect intimacy with your partner as well as your overall relationship
Solution
Even though menopause can have many side effects on your sex life, you do not necessarily have to compromise all the time. There exist a number of options that women can try in order to improve their sexual experience, including:
- using over-the-counter (OTC) lubricants or vaginal moisturizers
- experimenting with varying positions
- trying self-stimulation as a way of increasing desire
- using a vaginal dilator
- opting for prescription treatment options recommended by your doctor
Sexual side effects of menopause may result in significantly impacting everyday life. However, professional guidance from the best Sexologist in Lahore or your city, can help get rid of many of these problems and read to a much better sex life.