Staying Fit
More than 1 million women experience menopause each year, according to the National Institutes of Health. Although menopause is defined as the point in time 12 months after a woman’s last period, perimenopause (the transition to menopause) most often begins between the ages of 45 and 55. It lasts an average of seven years, but can be as long as 14 years. During perimenopause, production of the hormones estrogen and progesterone decreases. Scientists say the decrease in estrogen likely causes most of the symptoms of menopause. Symptoms can include hot flashes, issues with bladder control, trouble sleeping, mood changes and memory problems. Women can also experience changes in their periods and vaginal dryness, which can make sex uncomfortable.
Although there are treatments and things women can do to ease the symptoms of menopause, one 2021 survey of more than 1,000 women found that 73 percent of respondents who were experience menopause symptoms were not treating them. The survey also found that half of the women said they experienced painful sex after the onset of menopause symptoms.
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Yet Jen Gunter, an obstetrician/gynecologist and author of The Menopause Manifesto says that she wants every woman to have the knowledge to help them with their own menopause. In a series of videos, Gunter gives advice and tips to help with common symptoms of menopause, and she clears up a few misconceptions.
Sex and your libido
Gunter says the subject of sex and menopause is not often discussed, but it should be. Shifting hormones during menopause can cause a decrease in sex drive around menopause for some but not all women. Some women experience an increase in sex drive. But about 27 percent to 60 percent of women experience vaginal dryness with menopause and perimenopause. This can cause painful sex, but sex doesn’t have to be painful. After talking to your doctor to rule out other causes of pain, Gunter recommends asking about vaginal estrogen. “The first step is talking about it,” she says, “because you deserve to have the kind of sex you want to have.”
