Midlife Sexual Health: A Work in Progress

Female sexuality is complex.

Factors that can contribute to both sexual health as well as sexual problems are numerous and often interrelated. Here are some strategies and treatments options that can help.

How can you boost your midlife sexual health?

• Examine your relationships: What issues do you need to address? Communication with your partner is one of the most important first steps toward identifying reasons behind lack of desire and arousal. Finding solutions really is a team effort.
• Body image and sexual function Weight loss, exercise and a healthy lifestyle can pay some really pleasurable dividends. In addition, exercises designed to strengthen pelvic floor muscles, such as Kegel exercises, can assist with overall sexual function.
• If you don’t use it, you will lose it! Menopausal women need to engage in regular vaginal sexual activity to maintain vaginal health. No current partner? No problem. Shocked? In a 2010 Journal of Sexual Medicine national survey of older adults, 54% of women ages 50-59, 46% of women ages 60-69 and 36% of women ages 70-79 had engaged in masturbation in the previous year.
• Lubricants, moisturizers and low dose vaginal estrogen can help with vaginal dryness. (See my video “Can We Talk About Vaginal Health During Menopause?”)

Talking to your health care professional about sexual issues may feel uncomfortable at first, but get over that! There are lots of good options out there for you. All you have to do is start the conversation.

Ladies, there is absolutely no need to suffer in silence.

Tara Allmen, MD Credentials:
– Board Certified Gynecologist and Nationally Certified Menopause Practitioner
– New York City’s Leading Expert In Menopause
– President, North American Menopause Society Foundation
– Fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology
– New York City’s Top Gynecologist, 2015
– Five Star Rating From Doctor’s Choice Awards
– Five Star Rating From HealthGrades