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Sexual Health Centre
Sexual Expression |
Sex and Menopause
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A couple's
sexual relationship may change after menopause.
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As a woman ages, her sexual desires
change and her interest in being sexually active may decrease or increase.
Changes may be prompted by her past sexual experiences or by the availability
of a sexual partner.
Menopause occurs when a woman's
body stops releasing eggs and her menstrual
cycles cease. The hormonal changes associated with menopause may affect
a woman's physical responses and interest in sex (libido.) Hormonal fluctuations
in the time before menopause (called peri-menopause) may also affect a
woman's libido and sexual experience.
Sexual Changes
Associated with Menopause
Some of the sexual changes commonly
associated with menopause are:
- slower sexual arousal
- less lubrication produced
during sex
- the vaginal wall gets thinner
and intercourse may be uncomfortable
- intensity of orgasm
may be reduced
- skin sensitivity is often
increased
Although many women have a reduced
interest in sex, others have an increase in sexual desire.
What needs to be done about
these changes depends on how you feel about them and how readily you can
incorporate them into your current sexual life. Even women who find that
their sexual interest is greatly reduced may accept these changes, particularly
if they have lost their sexual partner to illness or death. If the changes
are less dramatic, a woman may welcome a slower, more sensual, sexual
experience that emphasizes non-sexual touching and allows more time for
lubrication. Since men also become aroused more slowly as they age, heterosexual
couples may adapt their sexual lives in a way that 'works' for both partners.
If both lesbian partners are experiencing menopause, the changes in their
desires may also fit well together.
For some women and their partners,
these changes are a problem. Women may be frustrated that their orgasms
don't feel right. Partners may conclude that a woman is less interested,
because she lubricates less. It is important to talk to your partner(s)
about the changes that are happening to your body and what both of you
are feeling about these changes.
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