The Aging Sex Drive of Women
A study conducted by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) in February 1999 revealed that that about 43 percent of women and 31 percent of men suffer from sexual inadequacy. The underlying reason for this decrease in sex drive, however, could not be particularly identified.
There are many reasons why women and men could lose their sex drive. Many of these explanations, however, vary for both sexes. For the woman, it can be a bit more complicated because her body goes through many biological changes all throughout her lifetime. Unfortunately, little attention has been truly given to this issue. Apparently, studies on the subject matter have been focused too much on men and the female concerns have become neglected. This article hopes to be able to give women an idea as to why their sex drives can get very low and to discuss briefly the existing treatments available for this condition.
Common Causes of Sexual Inadequacy in Women
A common cause for the decline in sex drive in women is menopause. Sex during and after menopause can be horrific for many women. Having to deal with mood swings, hot flashes, depression, and vaginal dryness can make sex very painful and for this reason many menopausal women would rather not engage in it.
During menopause, the sex drive can drop to very low levels. Many women find they don't think about sex at all. For others who still engage in sex, sex can be quite difficult to enjoying and often times these women lose interest in it altogether. The decrease in libido is thought to be due to the decline in the estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone levels during menopause. Each of these hormones plays a specific role in a woman’s sex drive. While estrogen helps heighten sensitivity during sexual intercourse, testosterone lubricates the vagina. Progesterone, on the other hand, is basically the sex hormone that excites the libido of a woman.
The symptoms that come along with menopause are also factors that decrease a woman’s sex drive. A few of these symptoms include vaginal dryness, fatigue, mood swings and depression.
Vaginal Dryness
Vaginal dryness is one major reason why menopausal and perimenopausal women lose interest in sex. For one, vaginal dryness can make penetration very painful. Declining estrogen levels prevent increased blood flow from traveling to the pelvis. Because of this, the walls of vagina become too thin and less lubrication is produced during sex. Intercourse can then become very uncomfortable and extremely painful. In some cases, spotting or light bleeding even occur during sexual intercourse.
Fatigue
Fatigue is one of the most common causes of the decline in a woman’s sex drive. The troubles that menopausal women encounter when dealing with night sweats, hot flushes and insomnia can make a woman feel too tired and worn out. As a result, many women lose their interest in sex as their bodies become too tired to cope.
Mood Swings and Depression
Mood swings and depression can make sex difficult to enjoy for couples. For women with mood swings, the sensations of sexual intercourse can reach very high peak levels and then suddenly drop like it were not happening. Depressed women, on the other hand, experience feelings of guilt and unhappiness, which make it difficult for them to respond to sexual sensations.
Possible Treatments
Many menopausal women pay little attention to their sex drive issues. Little do they know that their discomforts and lack of sex drive are all intertwined. The treatments for the symptoms of menopause and libido loss are actually one and the same. When a woman seeks help for relief from her menopausal struggles, she is actually treating her own sex drive issues as well.
Hormone Creams: Estrogen hormone creams often prescribed by physicians to menopausal women to relieve them from their menopausal discomforts. This cream can be applied to the vagina in order to increase blood flow and sensitivity. It is an effective way of livening the sex drive of women, making it easier for them to reach orgasm during sexual intercourse.
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): HRT is still viewed as one of the most successful treatments for menopause which can boost the libido chemically. It should, however, be prescribed with caution as HRT has been found to be the cause of many cases of breast cancer and heart failure.
Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT):New evidence reveals that testosterone plays a major role in the female sex drive. Testosterone patches have been proven to be effective in improving sex drive in women up to 75%. This, however, like HRTs should be used cautiously as they are not completely safe. Side effects can include rapid hair growth and deepening of the female voice. Although not yet confirmed, it is suspected to increase the risk of cancer in women.
Vitamin E: Vitamin E vaginal suppository is a safe way to treat libido problems in women. When used twice a day, it promotes the plumping of the tissues in the vagina, which helps in the natural lubrication process of the organ during sexual intercourse.
Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT): BHRT is a great way of restoring the hormone levels in the body. BHRT restores hormone balance by replenishing the body’s hormonal deficiencies with bio-identical hormones. Although, not a miracle cure, if properly balanced with exercise and given under the care of a trained doctor, this therapy can be an ally in the war against aging problems such as the loss of sex drive. Many men and women have attested to this treatment to having successfully restored their libido.
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