You could really look at menopause as the beginning; the beginning of the next phase of your life. This next phase could last 35 years or more. So, are you interested in maintaining an active sex life after menopause? If the answer is yes, then let’s make it happen.
Things might be a little different post menopause. On the positive side, the fear of an unwanted pregnancy is gone, so you don’t have to pay attention to that at all. Often, by menopause, if you had children, they are gone or have at least one foot out the door, so there is not as much constant attention to them as when they were young. Hopefully you are working at relaxing just a bit more.
For women, one of the most common complaints post menopause is vaginal dryness. This change is associated with the natural decline of sex hormones. The vaginal tissues will need some extra attention to stay plump and moist. There are some great natural vaginal lubricants such as coconut oil, or olive oil. In our office, we carry a vaginal restoring lubricant made with rose essential oil (never apply undiluted essential oil to your skin or tissues). There is also a natural product available from Dr. Christiane Northrup called Amata Vaginal Moisturizer. This moisturizer is made with an herb from Thailand called Peuraria Mirifica, it works really well!
The next most common complaint is a decline in libido. you may need to spend some time building it back up. I recommend a book, written by a fellow acupuncturist called Sex Again, by Jill Blakeway it is available from Amazon, as well as other sources. It will give you some great ideas on how to re-charge your libido.
One recommendation Jill makes in Sex Again, is to seek care from an acupuncturist who is certified to prescribe Chinese Herbs. We have a full Chinese Herbal pharmacy in our office, so we can create a custom herbal formula to address your specific complaints.
So, yes there is sex after menopause, it may take a little effort to get your sex life on track again, but I think you will be happy.
Take care, Ann
