Keeping the Passion Alive
Just because your body is aging, doesn’t mean that your sexual health should be ignored. Your body changes as you age, but what shouldn’t change is that people deserve to be sexually healthy and enjoy their sex life as much as they can. In fact, issues with your sexual health can be a sign or symptom of a greater problem that should be addressed with a physician. Memorial Medical Group Family Medicine Specialists Ben Groves, DO, and Kira Groves, DO, have provided a few areas to keep in mind if you are experiencing a decrease in sexual desire or function as you get older:
Post-menopausal women: The natural cycle for women eventually leads to menopause. This means a woman’s body decreases in estrogen and progesterone production. Fertility ceases, and this may or may not lead to a decrease in sex drive. It does, however, over time lead to thinning and dryness in the vaginal tissues. This can cause pain or difficulty enjoying sex. This is treatable with lubricants and pelvic physical therapy.
Chronic pain: Chronic pain of any kind can decrease energy and sex drive. Side effects from medications for chronic pain may be impacting your sex drive, as well. Other medications can be added to deal with those side effects, but the goal is not to decrease the quality of life. A doctor can put together a good holistic plan to treat your pain and improve your sexual health.
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