How can menopause affect your sexual life
Advice by Dr Sumi Soori – General Practitioner at The Women’s Wellness Centre
What you may want to know about Menopause ans sex drive.
 Menopause is the cessation of a woman’s periods and signifies the end of her reproductive potential. Once a woman has had twelve consecutive months without a period she is said to have gone through the menopause.
The perimenopause is the stage that occurs before menopause, a few months before or even as far back as up to ten years prior to the menopause, during which time symptoms of hormone decline may be experienced, including change in sexual functioning, which may feel overwhelming and distressing to the individual.
Menopause and sex drive: how it can be affected.
Loss of oestrogen and testosterone in women, hormones which naturally decline with age, can bring about change in a woman’s body and desire for sex. Vaginal dryness caused by oestrogen decline is one of the most common symptoms of menopause.
Dryness, as well as thinning of the vaginal walls and reduced vaginal wall elasticity can all affect a woman’s ability to have comfortable and pleasurable sex. Fear of pain on intercourse has been reported to shy women away from intimacy within a relationship. Testosterone plays an important role in libido and sexual arousal.
Available therapies
Bio-identical hormone replacement therapy menopause with oestrogen and/ or testosterone can be helpful. Testosterone has not been available or licensed for use in women on the NHS. Menopause doctors can prescribe testosterone gel privately , or compounded bio-identical HRT if required.
This article has been written by Dr Sumi Soori, General Practitioner with specialist interest and expertise in the Menopause at The Women’s Wellness Centre.
At The Women’s Wellness Centre, Dr Soori provides a comprehensive service including health packages, standard consultations, menopause consultations, cognitive behavioural therapy, smear tests, vaccinations and more.
If you wish to know more about her practice, please contact us on 020 7751 4488 or book an appointment online here.
Dr Sumi, who qualified at Imperial College London, has worked extensively in the NHS and Private sectors over the last 20 years. In addition to being a well-established Private GP, she also has a diploma of the faculty of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and a Menopause specialist, accredited by the prestigious Marion Gluck Training Academy. She has expertise in managing the full spectrum of medical conditions and has a keen interest in paediatrics as well as mental health, with a unique offering of cognitive behavioural therapy.
From leading a double award-winning Private GP practice, Dr Sumi is now consulting from The Women’s Wellness Centre. As a Private GP and Menopause specialist, she offers her patients a warm, personalised service with exceptional clinical acume. She is committed to her patients’ needs and follows a compassionate patient-centred approach.
