Let's Talk About Sex...
Jun 04, 2023
Can anyone read that caption without singing the old Salt n Peppa tune – let’s talk about sex baby… anyone? Things are getting ‘Hotties’ this week!! It must be all the love in the air.
It’s said that the brain is a women’s most important sex organ!
That said, as we reach peri-menopause and in particular menopause, libido declines, you may need more time to get aroused, it may be painful to have intercourse and Impossible to reach an orgasm – if that isn’t a passion killer I don’t know what is!
To take a step back, the hormones we look at are testosterone, DHEAS and SHBG.
DHEA has the most prominent change in these sex hormones during aging in a women. We get a slow decline as we age but it can happen quicker under stress or illness.
Females produce a lot less testosterone than men but it’s still an important marker in over health and one that is gaining a lot of interest in the research field. As always, we want to keep our oestrogen and progesterone balanced to maintain a nice healthy sex life.
Nature didn’t intend for women to be sexually active after menopause, so women have to work at it and be creative (phew… sounds like a lot of work:)
Studies have shown that hormone replacement can improve libido although it might take 3 – 6 months to be effective.
Oestrogen cream can not only help with any vaginal atrophy but also increase your libido.
In clinic I use a product like Designs for Health Libidostim -F – which contains testosterone raising herbs and oestrogen metabolism support. It contains herbs like Tribulus, Horny Goat Weed (some plants were meant to be:), Damiana, Gingko and Panax Ginseng. So there’s also some adrenal support in there too. This one also contains DHEA but in some countries, this is on prescription only. You can find different variations of this.
Communication as always is the foundation to a healthy sexual relationship.
Be honest with your partner if your libido has dropped and don’t be afraid to say if sex is painful.
Compromise and find a middle ground if one of you wants to have sex more than the other.
Experiment if sex is painful, try different positions and definitely include more foreplay.
Keep your relationship honest and playful, and you can get your inner Hottie back on track.
