Reigniting Your Sexual Spark

According to Dr. Barb Depree to enjoy sex after menopause, a woman needs:

• Knowledge

  She needs to know some new sexual techniques that will keep sex enjoyable as she ages. Understanding the changes such as dryness, diminishing sensations, and pain in intercourse allows her to seek out solutions.

• Vaginal Comfort

  She needs to learn how to care for her vulvo-vaginal tissues so that sex remains comfortable. Lower estrogen levels affect the natural vaginal moisturizers and lubricants that was taken for granted when we were younger. As your hormone levels change, you'll need to take steps to keep your tissues vital. Using lubricants during intimacy or the regular use of vaginal moisturizers can keep vaginal tissues in shape and responsive. Vaginal dilators can help with elasticity.

• Genital Sensation

  She needs to compensate for less blood flow and less sensitivity with more stimulation. Using a personal or small vibrators for women (aka clitoris vibrator) , massager, or warming lubricants is an excellent way to increase self-awareness and sensation. Whether on your own or with a partner, self-stimulation is an important skill for any of us who wish to develop and maintain her ability to enjoy sex.

• Pelvic Tone

  She needs to strengthen and maintain her pelvic floor muscles to encourage circulation and maintain or strengthen her orgasms. Keeping the muscles of your pelvic floor in shape through Kegel exercises or physical therapy will keep all of your organs in their proper places, and prevents incontinence. Using a kegel exercise tool is a great way to encourage circulation and strengthen your orgasms. There are also new tools available that use electrical pulses to exercise pelvic floor muscles.

• Emotional Intimacy

  Sex needs to be intimate and needs a real connection. As women, our sexual response is different from men's in many ways. We're more responsive than spontaneous. If we start from a place of emotional intimacy, we're more easily aroused. Sex after menopause can be more satisfying when emotional intimacy is the foundation for our healthy sex life for as many years as we like.