Menopause Can Interfere With Women's Sexual Satisfaction

HOLLAND, Mich., June 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Menopause is a natural transition in a woman's life. We expect to go through it sooner or later. Preferably later. But for roughly 25 percent of women, menopause arrives early, and with it comes hormonal shifts that can affect sexual drive and functioning.

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Knowing what to expect and having access to clinically sound information from expert sources like Menopause.org, sponsored by the North American Menopause Society (NAMS), and MiddlesexMD.com, a sexual health website founded by menopause care specialist Dr. Barb DePree, can help menopausal women maintain their sexual well-being.

Causes of Premature Menopause

NAMS defines premature menopause as "menopause that occurs at or before age 40. It can be genetic, or it can be induced via a medical intervention that removes or damages the ovaries, resulting in the abrupt loss of ovarian hormones such as estrogen."

Most cases of surgically induced menopause are caused when both ovaries are removed in a procedure called an oophorectomy or when a hysterectomy includes removing the ovaries or cutting off the blood supply to the ovaries.

"Removing both ovaries brings on immediate menopause, so it's important to talk to your doctor about both the reasons for the surgery and the possible outcomes," urges Dr. DePree. "Surgical menopause is not reversible. It's important to have a good understanding of what you will face after the surgery."

Medical Menopause

Certain medical procedures such as chemotherapy and pelvic radiation therapy can also cause menopause by damaging the ovaries. However, notes Dr. DePree, not all premenopausal women undergoing these procedures will experience induced menopause.

"In cases where ovarian functioning has been damaged by medication or radiation, the impact on fertility is unpredictable. You still have to protect against unplanned pregnancy during this transitional time," explains Dr. DePree. "Also, even if the ovaries stop producing hormones, that change may not be permanent."

Sexual Function and Premature Menopause

So what happens when levels of estrogen fall?

According to NAMS, women going through induced menopause experience an abrupt decrease in hormone levels. This may have a more negative effect on sexual function than the more gradual changes of natural (spontaneous) menopause.

"Although each individual is different, for most women the loss of ovarian hormones leads to diminished sexual drive and a changed experience," Dr. DePree points out. "In addition, changes in the vagina and vulva can create discomfort or even pain."

With little or no estrogen, vaginal walls become thin, dry and less elastic, causing pain during penetration.
Vaginal secretions lessen, resulting in decreased lubrication.
Blood flow to the genital area is reduced, making it more difficult to become aroused.
Understanding these issues, making adjustments, and knowing where to find help can alleviate anxiety, improve sexual satisfaction, and enhance intimacy.

"Unfortunately," says Dr. DePree, "it is difficult to get reliable, clinically sound information about our sexuality as we age. I founded MiddlesexMD to make it easier for women to understand both the changes to their sex lives and their options for remaining sexually active."

A Recipe for Maintaining Sexual Well-Being

MiddlesexMD is organized around a "recipe" for sexual health that synthesizes the latest and best advice of physicians, researchers and therapists into five central elements. Each element provides a factual guide to the physiological changes that come with menopause and explains different actions to accommodate those changes.

"By having a thorough understanding of these normal changes and how to compensate for them, midlife women can keep their bodies and minds in shape for continued sexuality through menopause and beyond," says Dr. DePree. "The intimacy that is created strengthens our primary relationship, so we can live longer and happier lives."

Here is Dr. DePree's "recipe" for sexual health excerpted from MiddlesexMD:

1. Knowledge

Midlife women need to know the physiology of menopause, so they can understand what is happening when it happens. Although each woman's experiences are unique to her, none of us is alone. And each of us needs to learn some new approaches to keep sex enjoyable as we age.

2. Vaginal Comfort

Midlife women need to learn how to take care of their vulvo-vaginal tissues so that sex remains comfortable.

3. Genital Sensation

Midlife women need to understand how to compensate for less blood flow and less sensitivity in their genital tissues and create sufficient sexual sensation.

4. Pelvic Tone

Midlife women need to learn how and why to strengthen and maintain their pelvic girdle to encourage circulation and maintain or strengthen their orgasms.

5. Emotional Intimacy

Midlife women need what every woman needs at every age for sex to be good. Sex needs to be intimate. Enjoying sexuality as we age helps us create and reinforce real connection.

About Dr, Barb DePree and MiddlesexMD

Barb DePree, MD, is a women's health provider in West Michigan, specializing in menopause care. She founded MiddlesexMD.com, a safe, comfortable website where women can learn how aging affects sexual health. MiddlesexMD.com offers clinically sound information, practical advice and intimacy aids that help women enjoy sexuality for life. MiddlesexMD is funded by private investors, many of whom are women over 40.

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Natural Menopause Treatments Explained by Dr. Ershadi

LOS ANGELES, April 19 / -- Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is a synthetic menopause treatment method available to women suffering from symptoms of menopause. While this treatment is effective, it has been linked to serious diseases such as breast cancer. Because of that, many women have chosen not to risk their health with HRT treatments. The risks associated with HRT are simply too great for many women.

In the past, women have resigned themselves to suffering menopause symptoms because they feared the potentially harmful consequences associated with hormone replacement therapy. These women determined to live with hot flashes, night sweats, weight gain, fatigue, memory loss, mood swings, and strained relationships in order to protect their health and wellness. However, by not treating menopause symptoms a woman is increasing her chances of developing cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis. These diseases can further interfere with a woman's life. Decreased bone density can result in serious fractures if the woman falls and injures herself. Menopause should not be left untreated and allowed to run its damaging course.

Treating Menopause Naturally

There are natural cures for menopause that women ages 40 and over may want to consider using. These natural menopause remedies include things such as natural menopause supplements. These supplements are not only designed to help alleviate the symptoms of menopause like hot flashes and night sweats, but they also help women maintain bone and muscle mass as well as prevent osteoporosis. Products such as herbal supplements for menopause are a safe, effective, natural way to treat a range of menopause symptoms. Even though every woman will not experience the same degree or intensity of the various symptoms related to menopause, herbal menopause remedies may be appropriate for any woman suffering with menopause.

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Bio-Identical Hormones vs. Synthetic Hormones

“Bio-identical Hormones” is a term that is commonly used today by doctors, pharmacists, and patients alike. However, “Bio-identical” is not a proper term to describe the kind of hormones we are talking about. “Natural Hormones” and “Natural Hormone Replacement Therapy” are the correct terms. Natural Hormones are hormones that are biochemically identical to the hormones found in the human body, and they are derived from plants. Hormones, such as progesterone, estrogen, testosterone, and DHEA can be manufactured from plant-derived substances, such as soybeans and Mexican wild yams.

Examples of the hormones used in conventional hormone replacement therapy (HRT) are conjugated equine estrogens (Premarin), which are from the urine of pregnant mares, and synthetic hormones such as progestins. HRT uses hormones that do not match human hormones and are not natural to what the human body is familiar with; where as Natural Hormone Replacement Therapy uses hormones that are biochemically identical to the hormones in the human body. The argument here is that this difference contributes to some of the side effects of HRT. Women may break down these foreign hormones differently, which can lead to the production of harmful bi-products that cause a variety of side effects within a woman’s body.

In clinical practice, women largely tolerate natural progesterone better than synthetic progestins, and those who commonly have trouble with a foreign estrogen do much better on a natural estrogen. Natural Hormones deserve attention, but also require research as well as scrutiny from the modern conventional medical world. They offer not only a potentially safer and more comfortable alternative, but also one with more individualized treatment options to meet the unique needs of each woman.

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