Menopause and Sexual Desire – Facts Revealed 
Many women approaching their fifties, which is the prime age of perimenopause, start to experience a decrease in their libido. They may ask their doctors about it or just wonder in silence “is this normal?” Whether it is normal or not, if you are not ready to give up the pleasures of a healthy sex life, read on and find out what you can do about it. You may be surprised! Most people assume that the cause for this drop in sexual desire is mostly attributable to a decrease in hormone production in a woman’s body, in particular estrogen. However some researchers now say that some of the key factors that influence women’s sexual desire are also their attitudes in general toward sex, in addition to their overall health and even their marital status. This flies in the face of conventional wisdom but let’s look at some specifics. In one study it was cited that women who had lost sexual desire were typically those who actually believed that it is a normal part of the aging process to lose sexual desire. Could their beliefs be a major cause of their loss of desire? Another factor that may also be associated with this loss of desire is that the women who were either divorced or never married were not put into a position where sex was a regular occurrence, thus their desire was more a normal coincidence of “out of sight, out of mine”. If they are never reminded of sex, it was less of a priority naturally. Not so with a woman who has been married for many years. So how can a woman get back to a normal sex life? If you are healthy enough to exercise, by all means get plenty of it! This not only brings better circulation in the body, which helps to distribute nutrients throughout the body, but also increases mood with the release of neurotransmitters like serotonin in the body. This will put you in a better mood, giving you more energy as well which can lead to more healthy activity in the bedroom. There are other ways to help increase your sexual response if it is starting to wane – you may try yoga, which will increase the flexibility of the muscles and give you a new found strength as well. Also many couples enjoy sensual massage, which is great way to ease slowly into a more intimate session by relaxing and getting the body and mind prepared together. Many women start to experience dryness as they start menopause, especially the tissues of the vagina. This can be solved by using either a water-soluble lubricant or even an estrogen based cream which can be found at many pharmacies. If it becomes painful for a woman to have intercourse, there may also be a need to find sexual positions that allow a more shallow penetration as well, also remind your partner to go slowly and be aware that some pain may occur. Just because things have changed however, doesn’t mean you have to completely stop having sex. There are many ways to cope with the symptoms of menopause, don’t let it control your life!