Redefining Midlife Women's Sexual Pleasure - #90

Many women experience changes in their sexual health and desire during menopause due to hormonal shifts. Still, this phase of life doesn’t have to mark the end of a satisfying and pleasurable sexual experience. Instead, menopause can be a time of exploration and rediscovery, where women redefine intimacy on their own terms. In this episode, we’ll break down how menopause affects sexual pleasure and what women can do to enhance their sexual well-being without feeling limited by these changes.

A couple of key aspects we’ll discuss are the anatomy of the vulva and vagina, and how the decline in estrogen levels during menopause can lead to vaginal dryness, reduced libido, and discomfort during intercourse. These changes are normal, but they don’t have to diminish a woman’s sexual satisfaction. We’ll explore non-hormonal solutions, such as natural lubricants, pelvic floor exercises, sex therapists, the use of sex-positive toys, and the role of mindfulness practices like meditation and breathwork in rekindling desire. If you've never used a vibrator, Dr. Sophocles shares her beginner strategies. We’ll also touch on the importance of communication with partners during this time to maintain a healthy and fulfilling sexual relationship, despite the physical changes happening.

Dr. Maria Sophocles, MD is a gynecologist whose mission is to address gender inequality in the bedroom -- what she terms "The Bedroom Gap" -- by educating men and women about the sexual changes of menopause, and by fostering open conversations around female sexuality. She believes sex should be about pleasure as well as procreation and that we remain rather universally trapped in a centuries-old model of sex for male pleasure. As a gynecologist, she is well-informed about how women's bodies age, and how the sexual effects of menopause are neither understood nor discussed. Having talked with and treated women worldwide, she knows this "broken, dried up" feeling midlife women develop is universal.

She is a board-certified member of the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists, holds formal certification as a Menopause Expert from The Menopause Society, and is a fellow of the International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health. She has been named a fellow of the International Society for the Study of Vulvovaginal Diseases for her contributions to gynecology.

Check out her TED Talk , The Bedroom Gap: a frank and funny look at what happens to sex in midlife, in the show notes.

Medical Disclaimer: By listening to this podcast, you agree not to use this podcast as medical advice or to make any lifestyle changes to treat any medical condition in yourself or others. Consult your own physician for any medical issues that you may be having. This entire disclaimer also applies to any of my guests on my podcast.

Find Dr. Maria Sophocles here:

Website: https://mariasophoclesmd.com/media/

IG: @mariasophoclesmd

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmoad996Gk-PwijqRziGX5g

TED Talk: The Bedroom Gap https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alYBnyxMuPk

Resources:

Find a sex therapist: https://www.aasect.org/

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