mind & body Changes in Your Sex Life
For the most part‚ if you’ve enjoyed sex in the past‚ you’ll likely continue to find sex pleasurable now and in the years to come. There’s no physiological reason a woman can’t have an active and satisfying sex life in midlife and beyond. And surveys of men and women in midlife suggest that they do: A recent study in the journalMenopause found women older than age 50 are mostly satisfied with their current level of sexual activity and continue to be sexually active after menopause. In fact‚ 60 percent of women ages 50-59 are sexually active‚ as are 50 percent of women in their 60s‚ and more than 28 percent of those in their 70s. One of the biggest menopause-related problems arises
from low levels of estrogen‚ which can lead to vaginal dryness that sometimes causes discomfort during and right after intercourse. Talk to your doctor about solutions.
28 Are You There Yet?
percent of women are sexually active in their 70s
So‚ how will you know when you’ve reached menopause? You won’t know until after the fact—12 months after‚ to be precise. There are no diagnostic short-cuts‚ no simple cut- and-dried tests that can tell you‚ “Congratulations! You’ve made it! You’re now officially past menopause.” (The sole exception: If you have both ovaries surgically removed before a natural menopause; then‚ it literally happens overnight.) A blood test that measures follicle- stimulating hormone (FSH) is sometimes used as a marker for menopause. However‚ levels of FSH (a hormone released by the brain’s pituitary gland to help regulate menstrual cycles) can fluctuate wildly while you’re still menstruating. For this reason‚ the test results can occasionally be misleading‚ suggesting that you are past menopause when in fact you are not. The same may be true of the home test kits for menopause‚ which detect levels of FSH in urine. The most reliable marker is
the tincture of time. You’ll know you’re past menopause only after you have gone 12 consecutive months without having had a period. And since 12 months is a long time‚ it’s best to maintain a menstrual calendar to track your periods‚ noting the date of the start of your period each time you have one‚ along with the number of days it lasts‚ and the amount of flow you experience (light‚ moderate‚ or heavy).
14 pause SPRING / SUMMER 2012
Carlos E. Santa Maria/
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