Whether you’re approaching menopause, you’re in the midst of menopause, or you just want to know what to expect when you reach it, you may be wondering what your sex life will be like. Separating fact from fiction might ease any anxiety you are experiencing.
A concern women have is that after they go through menopause, their vaginas will shrivel up and become useless. Although the vagina changes during menopause because of the loss of estrogen, a lot of the changes occurring cannot be seen. Most women won’t even notice a difference.
One of the realities of sex after menopause is vaginal dryness. It happens to most women. If this happens to you, in order for sex to be comfortable after menopause, a lubricant is a must-have. When some women think of lubricants, they they think of the messy kind that doctors use while doing a pelvic exam– not so. There are water-based lubricants that are absorbent and add to sexual pleasure.
Often times postmenopausal women don’t realize that they are at risk for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, therefore they aren’t concerned about using condoms because they are no longer worried about pregnancy. That thinking is faulty, and because of it HIV is on the rise with women who are over 50. No longer being able to conceive does not equal safe sex.
Remember when orgasm was easily achieved in your 20s and 30s? After menopause, orgasm might not come as easily. In those earlier days you might have been used to 10 or more orgasms, but the reality is that during and after menopause, you might have to work a little harder to have more than one. For some women who are in menopause, it means their sex drive will go down, but for others, it’s the opposite– it just depends on the woman.
If you want to kick up your sex drive, try exercising. Being in good shape physically will make you feel better about yourself and could result in you feeling more sexy. Poor health, both physically and emotionally, could cause your sex life to suffer. A healthy diet and regular exercise goes a long way toward satisfying sex.
The best indicator of what your sex life will be like after menopause is your sex life before menopause. If it was good before, not much will change. However, if it was not so good, you’ll have to work at it.