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Low Sexual Desire and Menopause
Libido Help for Women in Massachusetts
Low sexual desire is a common symptom during the years of menopause, and the years following it. Some women even come to expect it, based on the experience of their friends and family members. While not all women experience a drop in libido, or sex drive, about 10% of women do go through this, with numbers peaking during the years of menopause.
Generally, low sexual desire is a result of the drop in the body’s production of estrogen that occurs during menopause. Other symptoms associated with the decrease in estrogen levels include hot flashes, mood swings, weight gain and vaginal dryness, resulting in pain during intercourse.
Fortunately, there are several steps you can take to quell any low sexual desire you’re experiencing, including hormone replacement therapy. Take a look at some facts regarding low sexual desire and menopause, as well as some of your options for coping with this unwanted symptom.
What Is Low Sexual Desire?
Low sexual desire occurs when the sex drive, which is the biological component to sexual desire decreases. Sex drive must pair with attitudes and expectations regarding sexual activity as well with motivation (such as being in a loving relationship) to fuel sexual desire.
The biological sex drive manifests through everything from sexual activity and sexual fantasies to genital tingling and erotic interest in others. At menopause, a woman’s sex drive often decreases as her hormones change.
Sexuality and Menopause
While sex drive decreases in both men and women as they age, women are up to three times more likely to be affected than men. The decrease in sexual desire is amplified during a woman’s 40s and 50s, when menopause hits, though specifics vary from woman to woman.
During menopause, estrogen levels decrease fairly rapidly. In addition, female levels of testosterone also decrease with age. Because testosterone plays a distinct, if not completely understood, role in female sexual desire, this hormonal reduction may also be a factor in the loss of sexual drive at menopause. Some women undergo menopause abruptly, typically as a result of chemotherapy or surgical removal of the ovaries, rather than gradually over several years, as is typical. In these cases, both estrogen and testosterone drop dramatically, and many women experience a concomitant loss of sexual desire.
The drop in estrogen can cause other menopausal symptoms that affect a woman’s desire for sex. Decreased levels of estrogen result in reduced blood flow to the vagina, which in turn diminishes natural vaginal lubrication. The low levels of estrogen also play a role in vaginal atrophy, which is the thinning of the vaginal wall. This pairs with vaginal dryness to make sexual intercourse uncomfortable and even very painful.
Other women find that the weight gain they experience during menopause and the emotional discomfort surrounding it also play a role in their decreased interest in sex. The hot flashes and night sweats that some women experience during menopause also make sex seem less appealing.
When Does Low Sexual Desire Become a Problem?
Some women find that their diminished sexual desire at menopause doesn’t affect their life that much. For other women, though, their sense of self and satisfaction with their quality of life is drastically affected. They may find themselves avoiding their partner because of a lack of interest in sex, and their intimate relationships may suffer as a result. If women are unhappy with their level of sexual desire or if their relationships are suffering, the low sexual desire of menopause has become a real problem that must be solved.
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Questions about Low Libido?
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When should I See a Doctor About Low Sexual Desire?
If you have been experiencing low sexual desire while going through menopause, it may be time to reach out to a doctor. The doctor can run tests that will determine if your low estrogen levels are the cause of your diminished libido.
While some women find it uncomfortable to talk about sex with a doctor, most physicians, especially those working in women’s clinics, are ready for any questions and concerns you have. The more specific you are, the more helpful your visit is likely to be. Try writing down any questions you have ahead of time so you don’t forget anything. Be prepared to tell your doctor about pain during intercourse, the extent to which your libido has changed, and any treatments or remedies you’ve already tried.
If your doctor determines that your estrogen levels are low, they can prescribe hormone replacement therapy, which can be a solution for other menopausal symptoms in addition to low sexual desire. Depending on your unique situation and symptoms, they may also recommend some type of counseling.
Why do Some Women May Have a Low Libido?
Low sexual desire can result from a combination of factors, many of which are psychological or emotional in nature. However, for many women, the loss of estrogen levels that occur naturally at menopause are significant and even primary contributing factors.
Women tend to be especially distressed about lack of sexual desire if they are in a partnered relationship and if they are also suffering from depression. Other factors that contribute to overall low sexual desire include:
- Urinary incontinence
- Other sexual problems, including issues surrounding orgasm or arousal
- Pain during intercourse due to vaginal dryness
- Anxiety
- Dissatisfaction with their primary intimate partner
What Lifestyle Changes and Other Remedies can I try for Low Sexual Desire?
While hormone replacement therapy using estrogen and/or testosterone is the only reliable way to stabilize your hormone levels, other treatments are available to deal with the related menopausal symptoms that can feed into making sex seem unappealing. These remedies include:
- Vaginal lubricants and moisturizers: The pain that can be associated with intercourse when estrogen levels drop can be a real turnoff. Over-the-counter lubricants can reduce pain caused by friction and dryness. Vaginal moisturizers may also be helpful. The good news — regular sex increases the blood flow needed to keep the vagina moist.
- Prescription medications: Some women who experience extreme vaginal pain after menopause find that ospemifene provides relief. Women who experience loss of libido before menopause may get a boost from flibanserin.
- Counseling: Sexual desire and energy can be deeply affected by stress and relationship issues. These types of problems feed on themselves: your relationship can suffer because of lack of sex, which in turn puts greater stress on your relationship. In addition, the anxiety, depression and mood swings that often accompany menopause can contribute to low sexual desire. In addition, many of the medications prescribed for depression have low sexual response as a side effect. For all these related symptoms, talk therapy, sex therapy and marriage counseling can be of value.
- Exercise. Exercise boosts mood and reduces stress through the release of endorphins. The elevated mood that results can help push back against low sex drive — and the weight loss produced by exercise can also help with the negative self-esteem that sometimes accompanies menopause.
What Help is Available to Women With Low Libido in Massachusetts?
If you’re concerned about your decreased sex drive, treatments are available to help. At Hormonally Balanced, we’re ready to offer you hormone replacement therapy that’s safe and reliable. Our health care providers are also current on all the other treatment options that may help you return to the level of sexual desire and sexual activity that you remember wistfully. Contact us today to schedule a consultation with our women’s libido specialists.
- Vaginal lubricants and moisturizers: The pain that can be associated with intercourse when estrogen levels drop can be a real turnoff. Over-the-counter lubricants can reduce pain caused by friction and dryness. Vaginal moisturizers may also be helpful. The good news — regular sex increases the blood flow needed to keep the vagina moist.
- Prescription medications: Some women who experience extreme vaginal pain after menopause find that ospemifene provides relief. Women who experience loss of libido before menopause may get a boost from flibanserin.
- Counseling: Sexual desire and energy can be deeply affected by stress and relationship issues. These types of problems feed on themselves: your relationship can suffer because of lack of sex, which in turn puts greater stress on your relationship. In addition, the anxiety, depression and mood swings that often accompany menopause can contribute to low sexual desire. In addition, many of the medications prescribed for depression have low sexual response as a side effect. For all these related symptoms, talk therapy, sex therapy and marriage counseling can be of value.
- Exercise. Exercise boosts mood and reduces stress through the release of endorphins. The elevated mood that results can help push back against low sex drive — and the weight loss produced by exercise can also help with the negative self-esteem that sometimes accompanies menopause.
Hormone Replacement Therapy
With hormone replacement therapy, your body receives the levels of estrogen that it is no longer able to produce naturally. Hormone therapy is typically delivered in pill form, though estrogen patches and injections are also available. Estrogen can also be delivered directly to the vagina via creams or a vaginal ring.
Once your body’s hormones are back to natural levels, you should experience a reduction in vaginal atrophy and any vaginal dryness you’re experience, which will make sex less painful. In addition, your sex drive should rev back up to its normal levels. For some woman, testosterone therapy is also useful as a way to boost libido. Talk to your doctor about the possible side effects of hormone replacement therapy.