“We are much more than hormones”

“You are menopausal, not dead,” the psychologist and sexologist says with humor. Laura Moran in the essay ‘Why (don’t I) desire?’ (edited by Next Door). “Feeling pleasure and feeding your desire during menopause (the end of a woman’s fertile stage) is possible,” adds the expert.

The climacteric does affect natural lubrication, a problem with an easy solution

Science has shown that sex hormones (estrogens, progestogens and androgens, such as testosterone) influence libido, but They are not fundamental. “We are much more than hormones,” he says. Veronica Viveroclinical psychologist specialized in sexology.

“Hormones influence, but they do not dominate us. Women do not become sexual amoebas because we have low levels of estrogen. In fact, there are no scientific studies that have demonstrated a cause-effect relationship between hormonal changes in the climacteric and the lack of sexual desire,” explains Morán.

Menopause and reduced estrogen, however, do cause Physical changes that can affect sexual life. “There is less elasticity of the vaginal canal and less natural lubrication”Vivero points out. “This lack of lubrication can make penetration less pleasant. Everything you are going to save on condoms can be used to buy lubricants. It’s a great time to use them,” Morán smiles.

“That menopause ends sexual life is false,” continues the doctor and sexologist Guillermo González, president of Sedra Family Planning Federation. The specialist demands, also in this case, good emotional sexual education to prevent many problems in the future.

“Sexual education is not ‘follology’ but rather receiving information, adapted to age and maturational development, so that we can respect and enjoy human sexual diversity,” adds Morán in his book ‘Perfectly imperfectas. The secret to making your relationship work’ (Destino).

Bad press about menopause

The bad press surrounding menopause (accompanied by the lack of education) makes many women see this stage as a grief and a problem. “It is a phase of life that can be fully enjoyed. Also in sex. To begin with, you no longer have the risk of having an unwanted pregnancy. Furthermore, the children are usually already out of the house and you have more time to spend with your partner. “Why aren’t you going to enjoy it?” asks Dr. González.

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“Love, relationships and human behavior are so complex that they cannot be explained by chemistry alone. To do so would be to fall into total reductionism. It feels like we are prey to hormones, but what we do, think and feel depends on both our context and our learning history, not on whether we have more or less oxytocin,” he adds. Mamen Jimenez, psychologist, sexologist and author of the essay ‘Contigo. How to have a healthy relationship without myths and with pampering.’

Morán remembers in ‘Perfectly imperfectas’ that the call ‘female viagra’ -only approved in the US- leaves much to be desired as an enhancer of female sexual desire. Its main active ingredient is flibanserin, which does not influence the cardiovascular system, like male Viagra, but rather the nervous system because it is an antidepressant. The specialist adds that the Supposedly aphrodisiac foods (oysters, ginseng or cocoa) have effects on the body but nor do they improve sexual performance nor do they stimulate desire.

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