Sexual Wellbeing During Menopause
For some women the menopause transition can affect their sexual wellbeing. Sexual wellbeing can be affected by multiple factors such as:
- Menopausal symptoms e.g sweats, poor sleep, mood swings, vaginal dryness
- Other chronic health problems
- Can be a side effects of many commonly used medications e.g antidepressants
- Social factors e.g demands of work, caring responsibilities
- Relationship problems e.g lack of support
A note on terminology from a Psychosexual Therapist:
Mismatched desire or a dip in desire is a preferred term used to describe what is often referred to as low libido.
‘This is because low libido is merely a myth, there is no universally recognised norm in terms of how much we should want to have sex or not, it only becomes an issue when it is compared or challenged with or by someone else’s desire or our own expectations..’
‘Relationship problems, lack of communication, body image issues, other life concerns are among the greatest contributors of mismatched desire, and these elements are often challenged by any form of change or transition. It could be menopause, but it could also be a child leaving the family home, bereavement, retirement, affairs, arguments, existential crisis etc….’ (Sheila Youcef 2026)
To learn more about Psychosexual Therapy click here(https://shayr.com/services/my-sexual-health-wellbeing/psychosexual-therapy/)
What can help?
- be kind to yourself, your sex life is not over and there are lots of things that you can do to help yourself and further help is available from your Health Care Professional
- Look at the links and resources included on this page to empower yourself with more knowledge
- Speak to your Health Care professional about treatment options for menopausal symptoms, managing other chronic health problems or a medication review
- Vaginal dryness – this is a common symptom that can be caused by reduced oestrogen levels affecting the vaginal tissues , topical oestrogen or vaginal moisturisers can help with this and everyone should consider adding sexual lubricant into foreplay as this not only improves lubrication but also can enhance sexual sensations
- Speak to your partner, be open about how you feel
What about hormones?
- Oestrogen and testosterone do play an important role in sexual wellbeing – through their actions on the vaginal tissues and the brain
- However, problems with sexual wellbeing are rarely a ‘hormonal problem’ only
- Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) can help by increasing oestrogen levels which can help manage menopausal symptoms which may be impacting on your sexual wellbeing
- Testosterone can be added to your HRT if you continue to have a dip in desire (which you are finding distressing) if all other potential causes of this have been excluded/managed. There is no current evidence available to support using testosterone in women for any other reasons.
Useful Links
We’ve stopped having sex – Relate
Help with relationship problems and more specific sexual problems.
“Lovemaking is yours to have until you die”: How sex evolves with age
Low sex drive (loss of libido) – The NHS website
Information on some possible causes of low sex drive, and treatment options.
TEDx talk: The surprising truth about desire everyone needs to know (Dr Karen Gurney) – YouTube
Dr Karen Gurney is a clinical psychologist and author of ‘Mind the Gap: the truth about desire and how to futureproof your sex life’ and speaks about desire in this TEDx Talk based on new information from sex science and sex therapy.
TEDx talk: The secret to desire in a long-term relationship (Esther Perel) – YouTube
Esther Perel is a psychotherapist focussing on couple relationships. In this TEDx Talk, she discusses sustaining long-term erotic desire in modern love.
Sexual wellbeing, intimacy and menopause | NHS inform
Menopause and sexual wellbeing webinar Dr Claire Macaulay
Testosterone for women – fact sheet
Libido loss, menopause and testosterone
Sexual Wellbeing During Menopause – Sexual Lubricant
You can order sexual lubricant by post by filling out the request form below. This is a free and confidential service. This service is available to women living in Ayrshire & Arran.
The pack will contain 6 lubricant sachets. It will arrive within 10 days in a plain, unmarked envelope. To ensure everyone gets equal access to lubricant this service will be limited to one order per month.
When complete simply hit ‘submit’ and this will be sent direct to our confidential mailbox.
