After the menopause, the female body undergoes some changes in the sexual life.

When we speak colloquially of menopause, we refer to the stage of climacteric, which includes the phases of pre-menopause ( the period in which menstruation begins to be more irregular as it is withdrawn), menopause(the last menstruation) and post-menopause. It is a period of physical and emotional changes and, of course, this also affects the sexual life of women and their partners.

Body changes

The main changes that occur during the climacteric and around the menopause are due to the decrease of estrogen level. The body produces much less of this hormone, and this has physiological consequences, of which, those directly related to the sexual response are the following:

• decreased sexual desire.
• less blood supply to the vaginal area.
• less vaginal lubrication.
• orgasmic contractions weaker.

What will cause these changes? Low sexual desire will make the woman not want to have sex, sometimes creating a barrier difficult to pass for her partner. In these cases, it will be difficult to reach the second phase of the sexual response: excitement, which, even having the same active sexual desire as before, after menopause takes a little longer to occur. That is, women from a certain age take a little longer to pass the simple desire to the excitement, but this does not imply any impediment to enjoying sex. Low vaginal lubrication can cause pain with penetration, which is also known as dyspareunia.

Do they seem like a lot of problems? So the sex life fades like menstruation does and we can not help it? Not at all, menopause affects women differently: some lose interest in sex, others continue to have the same levels of desire as before, and there are also those who see this age as much more positive for their sexuality and enjoy more than in previous years.

Other factors that affect Sex life during menopause

Decreased sexual desire and enjoyment in intimate relationships are not mere chemical consequences of our body. In a high percentage of cases, this fact derives from the combination of the reduction of estrogens with psychological and emotional factors.

We must take into account that during the climacteric women experience a series of symptoms in their body, such as hot flashes, headaches, insomnia, irritability, etc. Undoubtedly, anyone would be unwilling to have sex when they have headaches or have not slept well. In addition, on an emotional level is a very intense stage for many women, in short, a time of adaptation to a new phase, so it takes time to resume previous activities.

As discussed above, menopause does not have to mean a major change in sex life. Many women see it as a very positive time to enjoy sex because, on the one hand, there is no longer the pressure of being able to become pregnant. In addition, at ages between 45 and 55, women who have been mothers no longer have as many family burdens as in the past, which allows them to be more relaxed in their day to day and this is also a positive point to enjoy life as a couple.

Any woman can enjoy sex during menopause as much as before

Do not give up on sex!

The important thing is not to take this phase as an impediment to sex. All the physiological consequences of the change in the estrogen level can be compensated, for example, it is advisable to start using lubricants to combat vaginal dryness and to prevent dyspareunia. The exercises strengthen the pelvic floor muscles will also be very beneficial to compensate for the lower blood supply to the vaginal area, it is highly recommended to perform Kegel exercises , which will also be beneficial to another consequence of menopause, which is the urinary incontinence.

But, as we said, not everything is physiological. The most powerful sexual organ in the human body is the brain, at any age, so you must try to remedy the most negative emotional states and make use of the imagination to enjoy sex, as already was done before reaching this moment of life.

Engage your partner in everything that happens to you, and share with him that important phase of menopause. Communication, trust, respect and willingness to share experiences are the best engine for working one of the most complex areas of life: sexual.