You love your partner, but you no longer feel the sexual desire you once did. What has happened to your libido? You don’t think about sex as much, you don’t seek it out, maybe you don’t even want to be intimate anymore. These are common concerns for women as they go through menopause – concerns that are more than disconcerting. Decreased libido can negatively impact your self-image and your relationship.
But you do not have to feel resigned to a future without sexual intimacy. Instead, women can take action to take back the emotional closeness and sexual satisfaction that mean so much to you – and your partner.
There are many issues that can affect libido. They vary from one woman to another because every individual is different. Still, the bottom line is that sexual desire and satisfaction are mental as well as physical in nature.
The North American Menopause Society (NAMS) describes three components that affect sexual desire:
- Drive – sexual thoughts, erotic attraction, and feelings of arousal
- Beliefs, values, and expectations about sex, which can come from upbringing, culture or religion
- Motivation, a combination of emotions and personal relationships
The NAMS says “hypoactive sexual desire disorder” is the #1 sexual complaint among women.
The Role of Psychology
Non-physical issues that can cause diminished libido include:
- Conflict in your relationship
- Poor communication in your relationship
- Medical issues
- Depression (and the medications prescribed for it)
- Embarrassment or lack of self-confidence due to hormonal changes
It can become a downward spiral -- you pull away for whatever reason(s), which upsets your partner, making the situation worse.
The Role of Menopause
Menopause and its aftermath can lead to decreased libido, ability to achieve orgasm, and less frequent intercourse. Some women eventually avoid intimacy altogether, even as they realize this pulling away is hurting their relationship.
Lack of estrogen alters vaginal nerve function. The result is:
- Reduced sensation slowing clitoral reaction time, which decrease arousal and ability to orgasm
- Delayed (or total lack of) vaginal secretions that provide lubrication during intercourse
- Uterine contractions that cause pain
These symptoms can occur in middle-aged and older women who experience natural menopause. They can also affect younger women who have had breast cancer and treatment or who have had their ovaries removed, because these also result in significantly reduced estrogen production.
Menopausal symptoms that negatively affect desire for sexual contact can include:
- Vaginal dryness
- Vaginal tightness
- Lack of sensation
- Inability to reach orgasm
- Pain, itching or burning during intercourse
- Female incontinence (frequent urination, feelings of urgency, and leakage)
- Increased urinary tract infections
Some of these symptoms directly affect sexual desire and comfort, others can erode self-confidence and feelings of desirability.
MonaLisa Touch Treatment Helps Restore Vaginal Health
MonaLisa Touch is a simple, non-invasive laser therapy that can produce amazing vaginal rejuvenation results. Because the treatment works to improve vaginal health overall, it addresses the full range of menopause-related vaginal symptoms. Patients see physical improvement that restores vaginal comfort and confidence, triggering a resurgence in libido as well.
Clinical studies prove the effectiveness of this treatment, and the results our own patients have experienced transcend those study results. Many women have told us their partners are just as thrilled as they are with the results.
This is a three-part treatment that takes place in-office. It is fast and virtually painless, and it requires no downtime. Each treatment session takes just 5 minutes or so. We schedule them 4-6 weeks apart, so your body has a chance to respond in between. Many patients tell us they notice real improvement after the first treatment, but it does take all three sessions to achieve optimal results.
