From hot flushes to forgetfulness, menopause signals a time of change in our lives. For many women, the sexual changes that occur often come as a shock, according to a recent survey carried out among a group of US women aged 50-70.

The Sex, Menopause & Relationships survey, conducted by Harris Interactive and sponsored by Duramed Pharmaceuticals, revealed that more than two-thirds of the respondents suffered from symptoms that affected their intimacy with their partner. The majority of those women had never anticipated any changes to their sexual life.

Common problems
The most common problems for women in the survey included diminished sexual frequency, vaginal dryness, low libido and pain during sex.

However, sex and menopause continues to be a subject that many women don’t discuss with their partner or close female friends.

“The whole issue of sex drive and menopause is complex,” says Alison Begas, chief executive of the Dublin Well Woman Centres. “Some women do lose their sex drive and some don’t. In the case of those who do, it’s often temporary in that women respond differently to the drop in oestrogen levels.”

Begas also believes that timing can have an impact on the sexual changes a woman experiences during menopause. “Menopause can be bound up with other things, such as children leaving home etc, which can mean there are as many emotional and psychological aspects to it as there are physical.”

Lack of knowledge
Not surprisingly, the Sex, Menopause & Relationships survey revealed that, while there was widespread knowledge of symptoms such as night sweats and hot flushes, as many as 47 per cent of respondents had little knowledge of any other symptoms or sexual changes in their body.

Karen Giblin of the Red Hot Mamas Menopause Management Education Programme, which commissioned the survey, said she was surprised at the findings.
“Women today, specifically the boomer generation currently entering or experiencing menopause, are much more open about their needs and seek information more than previous generations, so it’s surprising to me that so many women settle for a less-than-satisfying sex life as a result of menopausal symptoms.”

Easy treatment
One of the main reasons women reported avoiding regular sex was due to vaginal atrophy (vaginal narrowing or shrinkage), which caused dryness and painful sex. However, many women don’t realise that this is easily treatable, often with a special cream.

Menopause signals the end of a woman’s fertility but not her sexuality and, according to the experts, there’s no reason why a healthy and happy sex life cannot be regained after menopause.


Top tips

• A balanced diet and regular exercise increases post-menopause sex drive
• Reduce alcohol and stop smoking
• Be knowledgeable about the facts before menopause starts
• Be positive about the changes in your body
• Spend more time having foreplay and use a lubricant if necessary
• Communicate with your partner about how you feel