Talk! Don’t Shy!

Sex drive needn’t take a nose dive during menopause. It can be treated but only if women throw away their inhibition and communicate the problem early

 M enopause – the “M” word that marks the end of fertility – is a    enopause – the “M”    word that marks the end of fertility – is a natural event that women  hate to hear and talk about. It happens when ovaries stop releasing eggs and the production of sex hormones (namely estrogen and progesterone) decreases.

This is also a period when sex drive decreases, affecting a woman’s relationship with her husband. Other symptoms that can make a woman’s life insufferable during menopause include hot flushes, sleeplessness, fatigue and mood swings.

“We really cannot predict who’s going to have a harder time with menopause and we can’t tell how long it will last,” says Professor Susan Davis, director of research at Jean Hailes Foundation in Melbourne, Australia.

Suffer in silence

Sex for peri- and post-menopause women is a taboo subject and many women are too shy to discuss the topic with their spouse or doctor.

There is really no need to suffer in silence as sex is an important aspect of a woman’s relationship – regardless of age. In the report, Are Changes In Sexual Functioning During Midlife Due To Ageing Or Menopause, 620 Australian women aged between 45 and 55 reported reduced sexual interest associated with natural menopause rather than with age. So, women shouldn’t think they’re alone with the problem.

Most physicians attribute poor libido to decrease in female sex hormones, compounded by negative changes in mood and poor wellbeing after menopause. But according to Professor Davis, another reason is the decline in androgens or testosterone.

 “Testosterone affects a person’s
vitality and is related to a woman’s sexual wellbeing, sexual interest and responsiveness,” she says. Androgen levels start to decline over the 10 years before menopause when women are in their 40s.

 Sexual boost

There are various ways of stoking the sexual fire. Once organic causes for hypo-active sexual desire disorder or low sex drive are ruled out, doctors will explore solutions like antidepressants, various hormones and even erectile dysfunction drugs for men like Viagra, Cialis and Levitra.

Alternatively, Professor Davis recommends a menopausal drug called Livial, which contains tibolone. It is a synthetic steroid which exerts effects similar to a woman’s natural hormones, including testosterone effects. So Livial increases women’s free testosterone and may therefore improve sexual wellbeing.

The latest buzz in the market is Procter & Gamble’s testosterone patch, Intrinsa, for the treatment of low sex drive in surgically menopausal women receiving concomitant estrogen therapy. At press time, however, it is pending approval by the US Food and Drug Administration.

There is no cut-and-dry method of boosting sex drive in peri- and post-menopausal women and the most appropriate solution will differ from individual to individual.

Hypo-active sexual desire disorder during menopause is amenable with hormone therapy and drugs. But women can’t go on the road to healing without open and early communication of their problems. Why? Perhaps by the time they’ve received treatment, they’d have drifted too far from
their husband to initiate that special,
intimate moment • natural event that women hate to hear and talk about. It happens when ovaries stop releasing eggs and the production of sex hormones (namely estrogen and progesterone) decreases.

This is also a period when sex drive decreases, affecting a woman’s relationship with her husband. Other symptoms that can make a woman’s life insufferable during menopause include hot flushes, sleeplessness, fatigue and mood swings.

“We really cannot predict who’s going to have a harder time with menopause and we can’t tell how long it will last,” says Professor Susan Davis, director of research at Jean Hailes Foundation in Melbourne, Australia.

Suffer in silence

Sex for peri- and post-menopause women is a taboo subject and many women are too shy to discuss the topic with their spouse or doctor.

There is really no need to suffer in silence as sex is an important aspect of a woman’s relationship – regardless of age. In the report, Are Changes In Sexual Functioning During Midlife Due To Ageing Or Menopause, 620 Australian women aged between 45 and 55 reported reduced sexual interest associated with natural menopause rather than with age. So, women shouldn’t think they’re alone with the problem.

Most physicians attribute poor libido to decrease in female sex hormones, compounded by negative changes in mood and poor wellbeing after menopause. But according to Professor Davis, another reason is the decline in androgens or testosterone.

  “Testosterone affects a person’s
vitality and is related to a woman’s sexual wellbeing, sexual interest and responsiveness,” she says. Androgen levels start to decline over the 10 years before menopause when women are in their 40s.

 Sexual boost

There are various ways of stoking the sexual fire. Once organic causes for hypo-active sexual desire disorder or low sex drive are ruled out, doctors will explore solutions like antidepressants, various hormones and even erectile dysfunction drugs for men like Viagra, Cialis and Levitra.

Alternatively, Professor Davis recommends a menopausal drug called Livial, which contains tibolone. It is a synthetic steroid which exerts effects similar to a woman’s natural hormones, including testosterone effects. So Livial increases women’s free testosterone and may therefore improve sexual wellbeing.

The latest buzz in the market is Procter & Gamble’s testosterone patch, Intrinsa, for the treatment of low sex drive in surgically menopausal women receiving concomitant estrogen therapy. At press time, however, it is pending approval by the US Food and Drug Administration.

There is no cut-and-dry method of boosting sex drive in peri- and post-menopausal women and the most appropriate solution will differ from individual to individual.

Hypo-active sexual desire disorder during menopause is amenable with hormone therapy and drugs. But women can’t go on the road to healing without open and early communication of their problems. Why? Perhaps by the time they’ve received treatment, they’d have drifted too far from
their husband to initiate that special,
intimate moment •