Due to the lack of estrogen and testosterone, a woman’s body and sexual drive may change after menopause. Women going through menopause or who have just gone through it may find less open to physical contact and less likely to get excited by it. It could also affect your sexual health.

As estrogen levels drop, vaginal blood flow may slow down. Because of this, the vagina may become too dry for a pleasant experience, but there are ways to help.

• Consider your health and the medications you take.

If you’re not feeling very sexual, you might want to look at your overall health or rule out any medical problems. It might help to look at the medicines you’re taking again and see if you need to change the doses or the pills themselves. If lubricants and moisturizers don’t help, a doctor may give a postmenopausal woman a low dose of vaginal estrogen. Even if estrogen isn’t enough to make you feel better, other medications and procedures can help.

Take care of any health problems you already have, get a lot of rest, and don’t drink too much. If you want to lose weight, you need to work out more. Losing weight in middle age can be hard, but better health and mobility benefits make it worth it. Walking is a great way to stay in shape and doesn’t take much time or equipment.

• Just chill out and take some time off.

Giving yourself plenty of time to get aroused may help vaginal dryness, so go ahead and enjoy the foreplay. Also, try out different positions with your partner. Another great way to relax before getting sexual is to take a warm bath.

When life gets hard, it’s not unusual for a person’s sex life to take a back seat. Even though we all have busy lives, it’s important to make time for your partner if you want to stay close to them. If you want to keep a friendship going, you may need to make time for each other.

• Now is the time for you to think outside the box.

It’s important to keep in mind that health problems may limit sexual activity. Individuals and couples need to think outside the box right now. If it’s hard for you to get comfortable during sexual activity, try changing your position or trying massage, lubricants, or sexual toys. Laugh and enjoy how close these choices are to each other. Don’t give up if you can’t find anything you both think is fun or interesting to do. Instead, accept that you have different ideas about what is fun and interesting.

• Spend some time talking with your partner.

Pay attention to how well you can communicate and get along. Keep in mind that bringing up sexual issues in a relationship should be treated the same way as bringing up any other hard problem. Instead of making accusations against your argument partner, you should say how you “feel” about the issue. Get alone and talk about how you can improve your sexual experience with each other.

Also, you should be honest with yourself. Think about what’s going on in your life or your relationship that might make you not want sex with your partner. Problems in relationships cause, most of the time,e, a lack of desire. When it comes to sexual problems, women are more likely than men to have problems in relationships. If you and your partner are having trouble working things out, a therapist might help.

• Talk to your doctor or nurse.

Patients may feel rushed or uncomfortable talking to their gynecologist about sexuality, but they shouldn’t miss the chance to have an honest conversation about their health.

Causes Of Low Sex Drive During Menopause 

During menopause, many women say they don’t want to be sexual as much. It also happens often in women before menopause. Many things can lead to low libido. Most of the time, a lack of sex drive is caused by changes in hormones, physical problems, or mental or emotional problems.

• Changes in the levels of Hormones

During menopause, your level of estrogen drops. One of the things that might happen because of this is a lack of sex drive. It’s important to tell the difference between physical and emotional symptoms that might make you less interested in sexual activity. Here are some of these signs:

1. If the tissues in the genital area are too dry, sex can be unpleasant or even painful.

2. It might be harder to get sexually aroused when hormone levels go down.

3. Sleep problems that make you sleepy or irritable

4. Having hot flashes that make it hard for people to touch you

5. Changes in the body, like weight gain, which can make people feel insecure and hurt their self-image.

6. Some women have trouble with sex during and after menopause because they no longer feel like women. On the other hand, it can be hard and scary to move on to a new stage of life.

• Health concerns

The loss of libido in menopausal women is often blamed on hormone changes, but physical problems could also cause it. It will help if you talk to the doctor about the following issues:

1. If you have trouble getting or staying in an orgasmic state, or if you feel pain during sex, your sexual desire may go down.

2. Arthritis, cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, and neurological disorders are some of the nonsexual illnesses that have been shown to affect sex drive.

3. Antidepressants called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors can tame the urge to have sex.

• Lifestyle

A glass of wine might help you unwind and relax, but drinking too much of it can make you less sexually interested. It’s the same with illegal drugs. Smoking might also make you less awake because it slows down blood flow.

Like any other reconstructive surgery, breast and genital surgery can change a woman’s sense of who she is, her ability to have sexual relationships, and her desire for sexual pleasure.

A person’s libido might go down if they are tired from daily life. Being sick or recovering from surgery can also make you too tired to want to have sex.

• Mental and emotional issues

No matter how old you are, your mental and emotional health greatly affects your desire to be sexual. There is a link between menopause and some women being more likely to become depressed. During perimenopause and menopause, women’s bodies change in big ways, making it hard for some people to feel good about themselves or have confidence in themselves.

Stress and problems with other people are two more mental things that might decrease your libido. As was already said, some women find it hard to connect during menopause because their bodies and emotions change so much at this time. Because of this, they run the risk of growing apart. There might not be enough talk about how needs and preferences have changed.

• Dyspareunia

Dyspareunia is a pain in the vaginal or pelvic area that often happens when a person is sexually active. The pain could be mild or very bad. It could happen at any point in the timeline of a sexual encounter.

Because of this, women are more likely than men to have dyspareunia. There are a lot of possible causes, but you can fix them.

Causes Of Dyspareunia

Dyspareunia can have several potential causes. It could be a sign of a health problem in some women. Some women experience both physical pain and mental turmoil at the same time.

Most of the time, dyspareunia is caused by something in the body. Here are a few of the most popular:

1. Vulvodynia, which is a pain in the area around the vulva

2. Vaginitis, which is inflammation of the vagina

3. Vaginismus, which is when the muscles around the vulva tighten on their own

4. Injury or trauma from childbirth,

5. An accident

6. An episiotomy

7. A hysterectomy, or pelvic surgery

8. Skin problems like cracks, itchiness, or burning

9. Infections like yeast or urinary tract infections (UTIs);

10. Endometriosis and cystitis which are both diseases of the pelvic lining (PID)

11. Chemotherapy and ionizing radiation that cause women with uterine fibroids to have Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).

Dyspareunia can also be caused by things that make you less interested in being sexual or stop you from getting aroused. There are several reasons for this, such as:

1. When the muscles on the pelvic floor are tight because of stress.

2. Worry, sadness, or shame, about their sexuality or appearance.

3. Pills like those used to stop pregnancy

4. Having been abused or used sexually in the past.

5. Cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, and problems with the thyroid.

6. Vaginal dryness:

Studies show that 44% and 78% of women with vaginal dryness say that sexual activity makes them uncomfortable.

Because estrogen levels drop during menopause, about half of all women have dry vaginal tissue and other symptoms.

If your vaginal area is dry, any activity, including cycling, can be painful. Even though a lot of women who are having problems don’t go to the doctor, this isn’t an unusual situation.

Many people think taking estrogen is dangerous because it could make you more likely to get cancer. But when estrogen is given through the vaginal canal, the body doesn’t take in much of it.

Symptoms Of Dyspareunia

The most common symptoms of dyspareunia are: Burning, itching, or stabbing pain, similar to menstrual cramps, in the vagina, urethra, or bladder during or after penetration deeply in the pelvis, but only with certain partners or conditions when using a tampon.

Who Usually Gets Dyspareunia?

Men and women can both have dyspareunia, but women are more likely to have it. Postmenopausal women frequently get dyspareunia.

More things can affect a woman’s sexual desire before, during, and after menopause. For example;

• Sleep problems

• Mood problems like anxiety and depression

• Stress/Medications

• Health problems

How Couples Can Go Through This Period Together 

If you’re a woman and having painful sex, you should tell your partner what’s happening and how it makes you feel. You should also talk about how you feel guilty about not having sexual relations and how being unable to have sexual relations will be seen as a sign of rejection. You should also say how important it is for you to love and be loved.

If your partner believes you and agrees that the problem is serious, it will greatly relieve you. When the disease is at its worst, helping women in their everyday lives can make it easier for them to deal with it.

If painful sex is a problem for you, trying different positions or ways to do it might help. One example is showing affection in a slow, casual way that doesn’t always involve touching.

If you and your partner want to figure out what’s hurting your relationship, it’s best to be as honest and open as possible. You might be able to improve your close relationships by learning what not to do.

If a man finds out that his partner hurts during sex, it could make him feel awkward or uncomfortable. Sexuality can be a touchy subject in close relationships.

Most of the time, being unable to have children makes life much harder. You might feel better if you went to see a sex therapist. Some women can enjoy sexual contact, but only if it is light or doesn’t go very deep. If you want to, you could try pre-play and lubricants. If there is enough time for foreplay, some women can have good sexual experiences.

Find out how much help you’ll need, look for answers, and, if you need it, ask for help.

Sometimes, a woman might not need to go to the doctor to relieve sexual pain. If women have painful sex after giving birth, waiting at least six weeks before having sex again might help. Try not to worry and wait it out.

Women with sexual pain might need to go to the doctor. When medical care has ruled out other causes of sexual pain, sex therapy could help a person feel better.

Finding other ways to connect might be best until the real problems are fixed. You and your partner could try other ways to get closer until you both feel more comfortable with penetration. Sensual massage, kissing, oral sex, and mutual masturbation can help you feel whole if you don’t have physical intimacy.

How Can I Treat Vaginal Dryness After Menopause?

• If your vaginal tissues hurt, try a low-dose estrogen cream, pill, or ring.

If you keep having vaginal dryness and other symptoms while using oral or transdermal hormone replacement therapy, your doctor may suggest a low-dose vaginal estrogen treatment. If you’ve ever had breast cancer, talk to your oncologist about how vaginal estrogen treatment might affect you.

When you put creams or rings on your skin, the estrogen is taken in immediately. Women are more likely to take medicine when menopause causes other uncomfortable symptoms, like hot flashes.

Many products could make vaginal skin even more sensitive, so it’s best to talk to a doctor if the problem keeps coming back.

• Lubricants that soften and keep the skin moist

Vaginal atrophy, when the vagina gets smaller from not being used, can be prevented by sexual activity. Lubricant can help, but if that’s not enough, you can use moisturizer. Lubricants are only used during sexual activity, and vaginal moisturizers do the same thing as lotions for the rest of the body. You should use it a lot if your skin feels dry. You can use some lotions for more than one thing, usually written on the package.

Stick to moisturizers and lubricants that are made of water and don’t have any added scents. Do not soak yourself in water, as this could make you feel very dry.

You can buy many lubricants without a prescription to help with vaginal dryness and pain. Using lubricants and moisturizing lotions can change the pH of the vaginal area, making it less likely that you’ll get a UTI.

If you use lubricant in the genital area, it should be made for that. The best lubricant to use is water; it shouldn’t have smells, plant extracts, or colors that aren’t natural. These things can irritate you.

Lubricants like petroleum jelly and mineral oil can damage birth control devices made of latex, like condoms and diaphragms.

• Stay away from condoms that contain the ingredient N-9 (nonoxynol-9). 

Because of the chemicals in their bodies, some women may have dry vaginal tissue. You can’t stop the changes to your uterus as you age or have children.

When the vaginal area is dry, it can lead to issues in the genital and pelvic areas. Many things can cause this illness.

Vaginal dryness isn’t usually a big deal, and many good ways to treat it. You could also try to stop it in any way you can. But if these steps don’t help and you still feel dry, talk to your doctor.

Do I Still Need To Practice Safe Sex After Menopause?

Yes, you should still use a condom after menopause if you are not in a monogamous relationship. In a monogamous relationship, you and your partner agree to only get sexual with each other. Before you and your partner had unprotected sex, you were tested for STIs or STDs.

Using a condom is the best way to avoid getting a sexually transmitted disease. Some STIs can be passed on or gotten without a come, so it is important to use a condom before the penis goes into the mouth, vagina, or anus. After menopause, you are more likely to get a sexually transmitted infection (STI) if you don’t use protection.

After menopause, many women feel more dryness or pain in their vaginal area; This can make you more likely to get small cuts and tears during sexual activity, making you more likely to get a sexually transmitted infection.

If you’re over 40 and want to avoid getting pregnant, you can take the pill, patch, and vaginal ring together, as long as you’re otherwise healthy, don’t smoke and stay at a healthy weight. Some are safer than others, and your doctor can help you decide which one is best for you.

But if you’re over 50, you might want to switch to a different method of birth control. You likely won’t need birth control after you turn 55, but you can keep taking the progesterone-only tablet (the “mini-pill”) for as long as you want.

Again, once you turn 50, you should switch to a different way to prevent pregnancy.

• The Mirena coil can ease the heavy periods that come with menopause. If the coil is put in after age 45, it can be used as birth control for up to five more years, until age 55, and as part of hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

• Another option is the contraceptive implant, which can be used until menopause. A copper intrauterine device (copper coil) and condoms are two examples of non-hormonal methods that will not make menopausal symptoms worse.

Importance Of Communication 

Talking to your partner about your worries is beneficial to your relationship. Age and long-term health problems, such as heart disease and diabetes, can affect sexual health and satisfaction. Here are a few ways to go about communicating with your partner:

Many women may find it hard to deal with the emotional and physical changes that come with menopause, which can be hard for our spouses and other close people to understand. For women to adjust to this new stage of life, they need to be able to talk to their partners about these changes.

• Give the right information. Many men might not know much about menopause or feel comfortable talking to their wives about it. So, the first step should be to teach them.

You could give them a podcast about menopause or invite them to watch a show with you. These materials could give you a lot of information and a great place to start a conversation that might be awkward initially.

• Be the one to initially introduce the topic. Men are sometimes afraid to bring it up with their partners because they don’t want her to think they are being critical or judging.

• Visit your doctor together. Whether you’ve already made an appointment with your doctor or are still waiting, now is a great time to involve your partner in how you handle menopause.

They might feel awkward asking you about some things, so it’s good to have someone else they can talk to about their worries. Your doctor might also be able to give you advice and reassurance about certain worries.

• Let go of the need to be close in a certain way and make room for others. Oral sex, massage, cuddling, and experimenting with vibrators are some alternatives to penetrative sex that might be easier on the body. Stop being afraid and give them a try. During menopause, you and your partner might benefit from trying new ways to be close.

• Be truthful. Even though it may seem obvious, being honest with each other is very important if you want to help each other through this change.

Many people think they are protecting their partner by not letting them know how they feel or what worries them, but this can cause more pain and anger.

• Share your new desires and feelings.”Are you taking longer to get excited? Are you worried about how you look changing? Other than vaginal sex, are there other ways to enjoy physical connection, like oral sex or massage? When are you most comfortable?” these are important questions to have in mind when communicating with your partner. Be sure not to miss any little detail.

• View menopause as a chance. When discussing menopause, it’s important to point out that it’s not all bad. In many cases, it’s the other way around.

Think of this as a chance to start over, take stock, and make changes that will improve your life and health. Your significant other might be interested in changing their lifestyle, like eating better or getting more exercise. You both have a lot to gain from this.

• Maintain constant, brief communication. It might be scary to sit down and talk about all of your sexual worries at the same time. Instead, you could use a timer to make sure your conversation doesn’t last longer than fifteen to twenty minutes. You can both take time apart to think about what’s been said.

• Tell him exactly how you feel. Tell someone if the dryness in your vaginal area is making you feel bad. Your partner probably worries if something is hurting you or not. Bring up the issue if your decreased ease makes you less interested and happy. If you talk about it, you might be able to find a solution that works for everyone.

• Find out what will help you feel better. A lot of postmenopausal and menopausal women say that they need more time for foreplay to get them fully aroused. You can try out different positions to see what feels best. “Since sexual preferences tend to change over time, it’s important to be open and honest with your partner about what you do and don’t like to do in the bedroom. Even if the topic makes you feel awkward, remember that your partner wants to know how they can make sex more fun for you.

• Talk to a professional about it. If you and your partner can’t find a place to start talking or are having trouble talking to each other, it might help to bring in a third person. You can have this talk with the help of a mental health professional, a sex therapist, or even your gynecologist.

If changes in your sexual life make you upset, you might want to talk to a therapist or sex counselor, either by yourself or with a partner.

Can I Get Pregnant During Menopause?

The answer is yes, even if you don’t get periods. As women get older, their fertility naturally decreases, making it harder for them to get pregnant. But if you are sexually active and don’t want to get pregnant, you shouldn’t stop using birth control until you know you have gone through menopause.

If you are under 50, you should use effective birth control until you haven’t had a period for two years. Women over 50 should use birth control for at least a year after their last period; This will help them avoid getting pregnant. You might still get your period at age 55, but you probably won’t need birth control. You will reach menopause, after which you will no longer be able to have children.

Because there are more risks involved, pregnancy after age 35 is called a “later in life” pregnancy. Some of them are listed below:

• Gestational hypertension also called pregnancy-induced hypertension, and diabetes are both conditions that can happen during pregnancy (gestational diabetes)

• A life-threatening ectopic pregnancy is when the embryo implants somewhere other than the uterus.

• A higher chance of needing a cesarean birth (surgical delivery).

• Problems during labor and delivery, such as bleeding or long labor, or problems already present in the mother or the baby (such as Down syndrome).

During perimenopause, women can get pregnant without meaning to, even though their fertility is dropping, and menopausal symptoms like vaginal dryness and mood swings might change how often they have sex.

After age 40, there is a rise in unintended pregnancies. When pregnancy does happen, there is a higher chance of problems, like a miscarriage or the birth of a child with a genetic disorder like Down syndrome.

Pregnancy has many of the same symptoms as menopause. If you get pregnant, you won’t have your period, but you might have light spotting that looks like your period.

Both perimenopause and menopause can cause other symptoms, such as irritability, insomnia, tiredness, headaches, and irritability. During pregnancy, you may also have to go to the bathroom more often, have sore breasts, and feel sick in the morning. During perimenopause and menopause, women often report problems with their bladders (incontinence and peeing more at night).

These signs should make a sexually active person want to take a pregnancy test. You can do this on your own or with help from your doctor.

A urine test that looks for human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) can show if a woman is pregnant. These tests are available at most drugstores.

7 Foods That Will Boost Your Libido

There’s more to boosting your mood than the norm. Experts agree that eating well is crucial to keep your sexual desire strong. A healthy, well-balanced diet will make you look and feel better and give you the nutrients you need to keep your libido in good shape. A bad diet can make you tired, sluggish, and sick, which is bad for your efforts to feel energized.

Having a strong sex desire also depends on other things, like being at a healthy weight, talking to your partner, and getting enough sleep. There’s no harm in making a few small changes to your diet. We’ve listed some of the best meals that increase libido below.

• Pine nuts

Pine nuts are full of the amino acid arginine, which can help blood flow by relaxing blood vessels. Viagra contains nitric oxide, which is made when the body changes arginine. This miracle nut would be great for a romantic dinner.

• Almonds

The smell of almonds is a strong aphrodisiac for women. People say almonds increase libido, but no one knows if this is true. Because they have a lot of zinc, they help men and women make more testosterone and increase their libido.

• Avocados

The avocado made Spanish Catholic priests sexually active, so they weren’t allowed to eat it. Adding avocados to your diet is a great way to boost your sexual drive and arousal. It contains a lot of good fats, vitamin B6, and folate. Vitamin E is also there, which is sometimes called the “sex vitamin,”

Vitamin E is an antioxidant that slows down aging and improves blood flow and oxygen to the genitalia.

Avocados are a great source of fuel and energy because they are full of lipids, vitamin B6, and folic acid that are good for your heart. Vitamin B6 is thought to help men make hormones, which is important for a strong sex drive.

• Black Raspberries

Doctors say that for best results, you should eat 10 berries or 1 teaspoon of their seeds a few hours before getting naughty.

• Ginseng

Get rid of the coffee and start heating the water. Ginseng tea has a substance that boosts libido and may help stop or lessen the effects of erectile dysfunction. According to a study from 2002, Korean red ginseng helped 60% of men with erectile dysfunction.

• Watermelon

The fact that people tend to be more interested in sexual activity in the summer may have something to do with the fact that this fruit is a summer staple. Citrulline is a vitamin found in watermelons. Studies have shown that it has the same effect on the body as Viagra. The body changes citrulline into arginine, which has the same basic effect on erectile dysfunction as Viagra. Nitric oxide is made when arginine is used, making blood vessels relax.

• Oatmeal

If you eat a healthy breakfast in the morning, the rest of your day should go well, too. Even though oatmeal has been pushed as a way to boost testosterone, this is great news for women. L-arginine is used to improve blood flow in the genital area. It is also found in many lubes and love potions.

5 Exercises That Can Boost Libido

You could greatly improve your quality of life with the right workout plan. It may help you reach your ideal weight, get stronger and healthier, and be the best version of yourself. On the other hand, there are more benefits to being active. On the contrary, many studies have shown that exercise raises libido.

Here are five things you can do daily to improve your overall health and, by extension, your sexual health and libido.

• Yoga

One of the many possible benefits of yoga is improved sexual performance. Studies have shown that regular yoga practice can help men who ejaculate too early and help women improve their sexual function. This group includes things like lust, excitement, climaxes, and lubrication.

• Walking

With just a 30-minute walk every day, you might do a lot for your health and libido. Scientists have found erectile dysfunction is less likely to happen in men who walk for 30 minutes daily. Healthy weight loss and other benefits may increase sexual desire and stamina.

• Strength Training 

Strength training with resistance bands or weights might increase libido more than just doing cardio. Strength training has been shown to reduce stress more effectively than cardiovascular exercise.

• Swimming

Even if you only swim for 30 minutes three times a day, this can increase your sexual desire and make you last longer in bed. It can also help you lose weight, which has been shown to give you more energy in the bedroom.

• Kegels

Kegels, or pelvic floor exercises, are supposed to strengthen these muscles, and they have been shown to do so. They have also been shown to increase desire in both men and women. Both sexes can benefit from their use. Women can improve the quality of their orgasms, while men can delay the peak of their orgasms.

Conclusion

Gynecologists recommend using a lubricant during sexual activity because it reduces friction, inflammation, and the pain that comes with it. You can buy lubricant at the drug store or use oil you already have at home, like coconut oil, as a substitute. (If you want to try this at home, don’t use a latex condom because the oils in question are known to break down the rubber in latex ones.)

Physical activity is good for more than just your heart and muscles. The blood rushes to your genitalia when you also exercise good for them. Your libido can also be hurt by not getting enough sleep.