If you are experiencing low sex drive or pain during intercourse, there is hope. Hormone replacement therapy can increase desire and improve arousal levels. It can also help with vaginal dryness and clitoral atrophy (the loss of the clitoral hood) which can affect sex drive.
Adding estrogen treatment through a pill, patch or vaginal ring can improve sexual desire and reduce pain during intercourse. Other treatments include physical activity and strengthening pelvic floor muscles.
Vaginal atrophy
Women who are postmenopausal – meaning that their ovaries have stopped producing eggs and they’ve stopped having menstrual periods – may experience vaginal atrophy. This can lead to a dry vagina and painful sex. It can also make it difficult to reach orgasm during sex. This condition, which is sometimes called genitourinary syndrome of menopause or GSM, can affect up to 40 percent of postmenopausal women.
Estrogen is a hormone that helps to keep the vaginal walls moist and thick. It also helps to lubricate the vagina and prevent it from becoming inflamed or itchy. When estrogen levels decline, some people will experience symptoms like dryness and pain during sex, needing to pee often or being unable to stop the urge to pee (incontinence), and urinary symptoms such as urinary tract infections. This is why it’s important to see a doctor about these symptoms.
Many people can relieve these symptoms by using nonhormonal vaginal moisturizers two to three times a week and lubricants during sexual intercourse. In addition, regular exercise can help keep the vaginal tissues healthy and stimulate the libido, while sex with or without a partner keeps blood flowing to the vulva, which can increase pleasure and arousal. Other ways to increase arousal during sex include oral sex, caressing and sex toys. Some couples also find that communicating openly about intimacy issues and incorporating new forms of sex outside of intercourse can help increase sexual interest and pleasure.
Menopausal symptoms
Many women begin to notice a decline in their libido during the menopausal transition. While this can be frustrating, it is important to recognize that the changes in hormones are normal.
During perimenopause and menopause, your estrogen levels drop dramatically which can affect libido. Two other hormonal changes that can impact libido are urinary incontinence and sleep problems. Urinary incontinence can cause sudden urges to urinate and urine leakage during exercise, coughing, sneezing or laughing. This is often caused by weakening of the pelvic floor muscles and can be treated with Kegel exercises and a vaginal lubricant like Vagivital. Sleep problems are also common in midlife and can include insomnia, waking too early or having trouble falling asleep at night. These issues can affect your energy and mood which may also impact libido.
If you have a low libido, it is important to talk to your partner about it. This can help prevent resentment and misunderstandings about the change in your libido. A sex therapist can be helpful as well.
Many women who have a low libido experience pain during sexual intercourse. This can be due to a variety of factors including the physical changes of aging and menopause, pain from chronic health conditions or medications like antidepressants, and even relationships. A sex lubricant like Vagivital can reduce the friction during sexual intercourse, which can make it less painful and easier to have an orgasm.
Sexual dysfunction
It’s normal to lose interest in sex from time to time, and levels of sexual desire can change through life. However, if you are experiencing low libido for a long period of time it may be a sign of an underlying health issue. Low libido can be caused by many things, including lack of sleep, fatigue, depression or stress, and drug or alcohol use. If you are concerned about changes in your sex drive, you should talk to a physician.
Sexual dysfunction describes a variety of issues related to sex, and can include difficulties with desire, arousal, orgasm, or pain during sexual activity. In men, sexual dysfunction can include erectile dysfunction (ED), delayed or absent orgasm, and problems with ejaculation. In women, sexual dysfunction can include painful sex (dyspareunia), difficulty orgasm, and vulvovaginal atrophy.
A woman’s sex drive can decrease in response to a number of different factors, including the aging process, menopause, and psychological or relationship problems. In addition, a history of sexual trauma or a diagnosis of a mental illness can negatively affect libido. Other common causes of sexual dysfunction in females include a low or interrupted menstrual cycle, vaginal dryness, and pelvic pain from conditions such as endometriosis or polycystic ovary syndrome. Medications such as antidepressants and some cancer medications can also decrease libido in women.
Depression
Depression is a common problem at midlife, and it can also dampen sexual desire. This may be due to the depression itself, or it could be a side effect of some antidepressants. Fortunately, there are a number of things that can be done to improve libido when depression is the root cause.
A loss of libido can have a devastating impact on your relationship, and it is important to talk to your doctor about it. They can help you determine whether the depression or your antidepressant is to blame. If the depression is to blame, your doctor can switch you to a different medication that doesn’t have the same effects on libido. For example, if you’re taking a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) like fluoxetine (Prozac) or paroxetine (Paxil), your doctor can replace it with bupropion (Wellbutrin).
Depression is a serious condition, and it affects all aspects of your life. It’s normal to feel down occasionally, but if it lasts for more than a few days or interferes with your daily life, it’s time to seek treatment. Treatment options for depression include therapy, medications, and support groups. A good therapist can help you and your partner have open conversations about the depression and its effect on sex and intimacy. This can help ease tension and reduce pressure that might be contributing to your lowered libido.
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