How menopause effects your sex life:
Menopause is understandably dreaded by women as it signals the death of their hormonal youth; their childbearing years, their hormone’s regular reproduction, and oftentimes their sex drive and ability to have sex without additional pain. During menopause the vaginal walls thin and dry, making sex uncomfortable and often times painful. Coupled with a lowered libido, it can feel depressing and overwhelming but hope is not lost. According to https://www.everydayhealth.com/menopause/, “84% of menopausal women said that maintaining an active sex life was still important”.
Having a fulfilling and active sex life post-menopause is possible. Many women report the urge to still want to have sex but physically nothing happens when the hormone is so low. To better understand this let’s look at three ways in which estrogen plays into our sex lives: libido, sex drive and arousal.
These terms are common when we refer to and think of the mechanisms in our body that control our sexual health. First off, sex drive and libido refer to the same thing. As stated on www.everydayhealth.com, “sex drive is a colloquial term for libido”. However, arousal is something different. Arousal is the process of physical stimulation that happens internally; increased blood flow to the clitoris and vaginal walls, pupils dilating and oftentimes nipple erection.
Arousal is the aspect of sexual health that women will experience diminishing when menopause occurs. The thought and desire for sex will still be present, but the physical addition is not. Unfortunately, even if this can be overcome, women often report difficulty reaching orgasm. Women can become frustrated at how long it takes to have their bodies reach arousal and even longer to reach climax. It is common for women to feel disappointed by this whole process and avoid sex altogether.
mother•s dose: to the rescue
Estrogen and sex go hand in hand, as do menopause and estrogen. This is where estrogen therapy steps in. There are many options to help decrease symptoms of menopause and increase chances of feeling aroused and climaxing. Tip: It is especially helpful to see a medical provider who specializes in hormone therapy and can check your blood levels to confirm your low estrogen levels. Our estriol body cream will help restore your estrogen levels and help with your menopausal symptoms. We recommend using our estriol body cream, in addition to our CBD suppositories.
How do CBD suppositories help:
CBD is known to be a vasodilator — it relaxes blood vessels and therefore, increases blood flow to the vaginal area. The vaginal mucosa is able to absorb cannabinoids readily, which makes it an efficient and effective option for women seeking enhanced pleasure.
Other ways to help with sex drive:
• Vibrators
The stimulation from a vibrator will increase blood flow creating a thicker tissue underneath. It will also increase resiliency and flexibility of the skin.
• Kegel Exercises
Whether or not you’re in menopause, you’ve likely heard of Kegel exercises and all their benefits. Though initially found to help prevent incontinence, it has also been found that Kegel exercises may help orgasms by increasing the strength in the pelvic floor. While many women are told Kegel exercises tighten the vagina, the reality is they tone the vaginal muscles which can bring on more intense orgasms at any stage of life.
• Mindset
What we think and say to ourselves directly produces outcomes in real life. If your sex drive is low, visualize sex. Make yourself think about it a few times a day to help manually increase your libido. Picture a fantasy. Enlist the support and help of your partner and make it a priority.
• Planning
Sex in menopause is best executed with intent. Since it takes a bit longer to get everything up and running, it can help to pre-plan and schedule a time with your partner. Think about it. Ready yourself with the aforementioned aids and execute. Insert our CBD suppository 30 minutes prior to sex and relax - be prepared to feel good from the inside.
Let us help you feel your best. As women, we need to better understand our hormones and the vital roles they play on our bodies, emotionally and physically. We are dedicated to helping women led pain free sex lives through the use of body creams, vaginal suppositories, and cbd-related products.
Please check our products page for more information on individual products.
Written by : Angelik Karapetian, Founder of mother•s dose, PharmD.