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Menopause and Loss of Libido
Cathy Taylor
As reported by numerous females, Menopause, the final stage in
the cycle of female menstruation, contributes to a significant
loss of libido. One of the more common complaints from women (and
their partners) is the loss of sexual desire and drive. This
absence disrupts the sexual lives of countless couples, and
therapy is often sought after as an answer to this problem. In
the following paragraphs, we will discuss causes, external
factors such as physical pain that prevents sexual intercourse,
solutions for restoring estrogens, and life situations menopausal
women face that contribute to their hormonal causes for libido
failure (i.e. body image.)
The period before menopause is known as the pre- or perimenopause
period when some loss of libido occurs. The hormone called
progesterone is responsible for this downfall and is key to
causing a resulting hormonal imbalance. Remember, the job of
hormones is to regulate certain processes in the body. An
insufficiency in hormones disrupts this balance and creates
problems. Loss of libido is not restricted to having a lack of
sexual desire. Vaginal dryness and discomfort can force women to
avoid having sex altogether. Creams and gels are used to combat
this problem. The emotional changes associated with menopause can
also affect sexual desires, as women often feel overly
aggressive, irritable, and sometimes depressed – mental
conditions that require peace time instead of ´hot and
heaviness.
Estrogen is the primary sex hormone in a woman. As discussed
earlier, a loss of estrogen leads to a loss of sexual desire.
Remember, women also produce testosterone (in low levels), and
testosterone is also responsible for promoting sexual drive. Lack
of energy and depression occur because of these decreased levels,
plummeting libido to close to non-existent. In order to restore
libido, hormone therapy is highly recommended. Doctors can
prescribe testosterone in a liquid form to keep you alert and
increase what you’ve lost. There are gels and creams (such as
Alura) designed to directly stimulate the clitoris. These creams
often leave you with a tingling feeling that can help you achieve
multiple orgasms.
There are over the counter medications out there that combat loss
of libido. There are progesterone creams with ¨bio-synthetic¨
qualities that restore safe amounts of progesterone in the body
to increase sex drive. There is also something called
Phytoestrogen Cream that help balance the levels of available
amounts of estrogen in the body and provide homeostasis when
there are plummeting estrogen levels.
There are other things that affect menopausal women’s´ level of
libido. Not all women have the same levels of sexual drive. For
example, 65-year-old women who have already undergone menopause
are more likely to have less sexual desire than 49 year old women
who has just finished the final stages of their menstruation.
Menopause also affects the way women look at themselves in terms
of body. Distorted views on body shape during menopause, when
thought is greatly affected, can also decrease the desire for
sex. If a woman is taking medicine for depression during this
period, her libido can increase more than someone off the drug.
Outside factors such as work-related stress, can also determine
libido levels in a woman and usually require a shift in
perspective to regain balance. In a lot of ways, menopause is a
reshaping of who we are and what we want out of life.
Cathy Taylor is a marketing consultant with over 25 years
experience. She specializes in internet marketing, strategy and
plan development, as well as management of communications and
public relations programs for small business sectors. She can be
reached at Creative Communications: creative-com@cox.net or by
visiting http://www.menopauseinfo.org or
http://www.internet-marketing-small-business.com
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