by: Cathy Taylor
As reported by numerous females, menopause, the final stage in the cycle of female menstruation, contributes to a significant loss of libido. One of the more common complaints from women (and their partners) is the loss of sexual desire and drive. This absence disrupts the sexual lives of countless couples, and therapy is often sought after as an answer to this problem. In the following paragraphs, we will discuss causes, external factors such as physical pain that prevents sexual intercourse, solutions for restoring estrogens, and life situations menopausal women face that contribute to their hormonal causes for libido failure (i.e. body image.)
The period before menopause is known as the pre- or perimenopause period when some loss of libido occurs. The hormone called progesterone is responsible for this downfall and is key to causing a resulting hormonal imbalance. Remember, the job of hormones is to regulate certain processes in the body. An insufficiency in hormones disrupts this balance and creates problems. Loss of libido is not restricted to having a lack of sexual desire. Vaginal dryness and discomfort can force women to avoid having sex altogether. Creams and gels are used to combat this problem. The emotional changes associated with menopause can also affect sexual desires, as women often feel overly aggressive, irritable, and sometimes depressed – mental conditions that require peace time instead of ´hot and heaviness.´
Estrogen is the primary sex hormone in a woman. As discussed earlier, a loss of estrogen leads to a loss of sexual desire. Remember, women also produce testosterone (in low levels), and testosterone is also responsible for promoting sexual drive. Lack of energy and depression occur because of these decreased levels, plummeting libido to close to non-existent. In order to restore libido, hormone therapy is highly recommended. Doctors can prescribe testosterone in a liquid form to keep you alert and increase what you’ve lost. There are gels and creams (such as Alura) designed to directly stimulate the clitoris. These creams often leave you with a tingling feeling that can help you achieve multiple orgasms.
There are over the counter medications out there that combat loss of libido. There are progesterone creams with ¨bio-synthetic¨ qualities that restore safe amounts of progesterone in the body to increase sex drive. There is also something called Phytoestrogen Cream that help balance the levels of available amounts of estrogen in the body and provide homeostasis when there are plummeting estrogen levels.
There are other things that affect menopausal women’s´ level of libido. Not all women have the same levels of sexual drive. For example, 65-year-old women who have already undergone menopause are more likely to have less sexual desire than 49 year old women who has just finished the final stages of their menstruation.
Menopause also affects the way women look at themselves in terms of body. Distorted views on body shape during menopause, when thought is greatly affected, can also decrease the desire for sex. If a woman is taking medicine for depression during this period, her libido can increase more than someone off the drug. Outside factors such as work-related stress, can also determine libido levels in a woman and usually require a shift in perspective to regain balance. In a lot of ways, menopause is a reshaping of who we are and what we want out of life.