At some point in midlife, sex starts to feel different and for many women, they find it challenging to adapt to that change. I know I did.
At 50, my libido dropped through the floor. By 60, penetrative sex was painful. Nobody told me to expect this and my doctor certainly had no solutions.
Perhaps you’re tired, stressed, or simply don’t think about sex the way you used to.
And then you wonder: Is this just what happens as we get older?
I spoke with Dr. Maria Sophocles, a gynaecologist and author of The Bedroom Gap, about what really changes during menopause and what women can do about it.
We talked about vaginal estrogen, desire, orgasm, testosterone, stress and why sometimes desire doesn’t come first. In the process we came up with the idea of the Mid-Life Sex MOT which, I suspect, would be most welcome by both men and women.
What We Cover:
What menopause can change about sex and desire.
Why vaginal estrogen can help.
The difference between spontaneous and receptive desire.
The five M’s for reconnecting with sexuality.
How stress, relationships and medications can affect libido.
Practical ways to reconnect with sex and pleasure.
Follow Dr Maria Sophocles Here:
Chapters
00:00 Sponsor: OhMiBod + Introduction
01:38 What Is Sexual Burnout?
05:29 The Midlife Sexual MOT
08:19 The Orgasm Gap and the Clitoris
10:07 Why Women Fake Orgasms
12:32 Learning to Talk About Pleasure
13:47 Vaginal Estrogen After Menopause
15:06 When Sex Hurts: Stress, Life and Desire
17:58 Spontaneous vs. Receptive Desire
20:47 The Five M’s for Reconnecting With Desire
22:19 Testosterone and Scream Cream
24:56 New Treatments for Female Sexual Arousal
25:15 GLP-1s, Ozempic and Libido
28:51 Three Ways to Reconnect With Your Sexuality
30:11 The Midlife Sexual MOT
31:30 Closing Thoughts
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