Don’t Let Menopause Affect Your Sex Life

It’s easy to assume that menopause just means hot flashes, mood swings, and saying goodbye to menstruation. However, the hormone changes triggering menopause also cause physical changes that can impact your sex life, too. Staggeringly, only 27% of women in their 70s still have intercourse. Fortunately, there are solutions.

In Astoria, New York, Andrea Olanescu, MD, specializes in the unique gynecological problems facing women at all stages of life. If you’re nearing or entering menopause, here’s what you need to know about your sexual health and how to maintain your sex life.

How menopause can impact your sex life

You probably already know that the hormones estrogen and progesterone play a crucial role in your fertility. But their role in your overall health goes much further than that. When your hormone production starts to decrease in the years leading up to and following menopause, it can trigger a variety of physical and emotional changes.

Physical changes

Your hormones help maintain your vaginal health. When their levels drop, the tissue in your vulva and vagina grows thinner, drier, loses elasticity, and receives less lubrication. This can lead to pain, burning, or bleeding during sex and also affect arousal and sensitivity.

Emotional changes

Fluctuating hormone levels can also take a toll on your emotions, which can impact your libido. Common emotional side effects of menopause include:

Nervousness, anxiety, or irritability
Difficulty concentrating
Depression or sadness
Diminished of self-confidence

By recognizing the changes that can come with menopause, especially as they relate to sex, you can take steps to address them.

Talk to your doctor

You don’t have to say goodbye to intimacy just because of hormonal changes and menopause. The first step in reclaiming your sex life involves discussing your symptoms and concerns with Dr. Olanescu so she can develop a personalized approach to help.

Common treatments for menopause-related hormonal changes include:

Topical progesterone or estrogen creams to help reduce vaginal dryness
Oral, patch, injection, or pellet hormone replacement therapies to balance hormones
Medications to ease emotional symptoms, like depression or anxiety

Dr. Olanescu also takes a holistic approach to your health and might recommend alternative methods to improve your mind-body health, like stress management techniques, meditation, yoga, tai chi, or acupuncture.