Vaginal Atrophy and Vaginal Dryness Means 54% of the Menopausal Women Have Less Sex - A ban imposed by the menopause
By: Stefan Anitei, Science Editor - Softpedia
That's nature. While the single condition for a 90-year-old is an erection to procreate, women of 35 can be already sterile, due to natural biological clock or surgery, chemotherapy or radiation. This is menopause, when the menstrual period stops and the ovaries permanently stop producing ovules. Menopause is diagnosed when a woman has not had her period for over a year.
Of course, this changes a woman's sex life. 54 % of the American women aged over 35 have less sex during menopause than before, as found by a Sex & Menopause online survey made between June 20 and July 2, 2007 on 1,054 women aged over 35, who were perimenopausal, menopausal or post-menopausal. The research pool was representative of the American women aged over 35 following the next variables: education level, region, income, age, sex and race/ethnicity.
76% of the subjects, who were committed on long-term relationships, stated that sex was an important part of the relationship and 45 % were satisfied with how much sex they had. "Women today, specifically the boomer generation currently entering or experiencing menopause, are much more open about their needs and seek information more than previous generations, so it’s surprising to me that so many women would settle for a less than satisfying sex life as a result of menopausal symptoms," said Karen Giblin, founder of the Red Hot Mamas Menopause Management Educational Programs.
But menopause symptoms vary a lot; some women
can suffer vasomotor symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats or vaginal atrophy (vaginal shrinkage) which can provoke vaginal dryness and sexual dysfunction and/or physically uncomfortable sexual experiences, as sex results painful.
469 of the subjects reported symptoms of vaginal atrophy, vaginal dryness, increased urinary tract infections and pain during active sex.
Still, 47% of women did not know much about vaginal atrophy while most of them knew about non-sexual symptoms: 95 % about hot flashes and 91 % about night sweats.
Vaginal atrophy meant a drop in frequency of sex: 75 % of these women had less sex since the beginning of menopause and 68 % had painful vaginal sex. 88% of these women were concerned about the issue and 47% of them avoided sex or stopped having sex altogether due to the physical discomfort.
51% of the menopause women experienced vaginal dryness and 79 % of these patients had an impaired sex life due to this. "If left untreated, over time, women will experience changes such as vaginal atrophy and dryness that can make physical intimacy uncomfortable, even painful. But they do not need to give up on sex altogether," said Dr. Murray A. Freedman, Augusta GYN, P.C., Augusta, GA.
"Sadly, most women are unaware that these conditions are treatable. Effective therapies, which range from over-the-counter lubricants to FDA approved hormone therapy, are readily available. Equally important is the effect of continued sexual activity. While it may seem like reverse logic, having intercourse can help ease the severity of vaginal atrophy."
36% of these women reported that the lower frequency of sex relations affected their relation with the partner. 60% of the subjects discussed openly with their partners about the symptoms of menopause and 67% reported that their partners were very supportive with them when it came to the impact of menopause on their sex lives. 46% of the subjects who reported less frequent sex relations have discussed the issue with their partner.
84% of the subjects looked for some information about menopause, its symptoms and treatment from healthcare professionals, media and the internet. "Given that less than half of those polled consider themselves very knowledgeable on any of the common symptoms of menopause (including night sweats, hot flashes, etc.) and only 35 % consider themselves very knowledgeable or knowledgeable about hormone therapy as a treatment option more education is clearly necessary," said Giblin.
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