Sex After Menopause 8 Ways To Make It Better Than Ever

Dont Expect the Worst It's true that "the change" will bring about physiological changes -- vaginal dryness, anyone? -- that may affect your sex life. What's not true is the myth that your sex life will come to an end. In fact, 70 to 80 percent of women do not experience a reduction in sexual activity or satisfaction after menopause.

Why Be Dry? If you're included in the 20 percent of women who experience vaginal dryness, you do have options. Try a water-based lubricant such as Astroglide or KY-Jelly (avoid Vaseline, as it's not water-soluble and may cause vaginal infections). Creams such as Replens Vaginal Moisturizer can also offer relief. Unlike lubricants, moisturizers work directly on the vaginal tissue to reduce dryness.

Work Out Your Muscles Yes, those muscles! You may have noticed that since the onset of menopause, your orgasms have been less intense. Strengthening your vagina with Kegel exercises will enable you to once again experience stronger orgasms. To perform Kegels, squeeze your pelvic muscles as though you are trying to hold back urine. Hold this position for a count of 10, then release slowly. Do this 10 times, four times a day.

Get Hot & Heavy with Hormones If your interest in sex has waned, it may be due to your body's diminished production of estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. To restore your sexual hunger, you may want to consider hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Over the past few years, however, safety concerns have been raised, so be sure to discuss the side effects of HRT with your doctor.

Probe Your Prescriptions Before you rush into taking HRT, consider what's in your medicine cabinet. While many of us are taking meds to help out our midlife health, those same drugs may be hurting our sex drive. Antidepressants and prescription painkillers are two of the worst offenders. Ask your physician if your meds could be causing your lowered libido, and explore your alternate drug options.

Slash Stress Menopause comes at a demanding time of life, when you may already be juggling work, child-rearing, and caring for aging parents. Add to this coping with menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats, and there's even more to be stressed about. Yet since stress can wreak havoc on your libido, you need to get this vicious cycle under control. Try deep-breathing exercises, practice guided imagery, go to therapy -- whatever you can do to relax.

Use It or Lose It While physiological changes or decreased sexual desire may dissuade you from having intercourse, this is the actually time when you should be having more sex. Whether you're with a partner or whether you masturbate alone, regular stimulation can help increase sexual responsiveness and pleasure. Take it slow and discover what works for you!

Reap the Rewards While women go through menopause, men experience their own midlife sexual changes. Because of this, they may want to spend more time hugging, kissing and cuddling. You and your partner may find yourselves focusing more on foreplay and experimenting with new methods of arousal. Though sex after menopause may present some new challenges, with open communication and a renewed sense of intimacy, it can also prove to be better than ever!