Aging and Sex FAQ Revving Up Women's Sex Drive Will there ever be a 'Viagra' for women? By Dulce Zamora WebMD Feature Reviewed By Brunilda Nazario, MD on Monday, July 26, 2004 Six years after Viagra revolutionized sexual ability for men, many women are still hoping for their turn. To date, the FDA hasn't approved a product to boost female sex drive. I am 34 and my husband 38. We had a healthy sex live before the chemo. We are newlyweds. Aging and Sex FAQ Wickman: Formal studies have not yet been performed on Mirena and libido, though as I mentioned, we will be looking at that question in our center shortly. At age 49, the Mirena IUD is an excellent contraception, and we feel should have minimal effect on libido. However, at age 49 you are in a rather high-risk category for other hormone fluctuations, i.e. Some of these exercises are modeled after yoga practices. (See "Yoga.") Abdominal breathing: Lie down on a mat or on your bed. Take slow, deep, rhythmic breaths through your nose. Aging and depression "You have to make time for intimacy," he adds. PHYSICAL Pain experienced during sex can be caused by a variety of factors. Underdeveloped sexual organs or other abnormalities that occur during sexual development often result in extreme sensitivity or no physical response altogether. Aging and Sex FAQ Yet it is capable of expanding enough to allow a baby to pass through! When a woman is not pregnant, the best way to describe the cervix is as the "gatekeeper" to the reproductive organs. If you've never had children, the "virginal" cervix will feel like the tip of your nose. Not surprising, 90 percent of all eating disorders are diagnosed in women. One in nine women between the ages of fourteen and twenty-five have an eating disorder, but this is certainly an underreported problem. A New York Times poll found that 36 percent of girls aged thirteen to seventeen want to change their looks; at least 10 percent of girls fourteen and older suffer from eating disorders. Aging and Sex FAQ Control over the cause. Most sexual problems start being purely physical, but later include a psychological component as well, often stemming from fear or shaken confidence over lost sexual performance. These psychological causes can sometimes become more powerful than the physical ones – these culprits are often responsible for much lost performance. "The IUD has gotten a lot of negative press in this country, but it is a good form of birth control for certain couples. It works well for couples with a low number of sexual partners, and who are definitely monogamous." MEMBER QUESTION: I have recently started back taking my birth control pills and have noticed a GREAT decrease in my sex drive. Is there a correlation? Sex therapy The unfortunate truth is that over the long-term, heavy drinking can (and often does) lead to permanent loss in sexual function – i.e. erection problems. The penis depends on good circulation to work well. Aging and Sex FAQ George blames sexual trauma for a lot of female impotency cases. "Physical or emotional abuse during childhood has a profound effect on sexuality later in life," she says, citing instances of date rape or extreme pressure to have sex among teenagers. "A bad experience early in the dating process can turn a woman off later on." Female impotence can put strain on a relationship, especially when her mate thinks he isn't doing his job. Bladder infections are nasty. They are often not caught or are misdiagnosed. They are frequently caused by normal intercourse but can also be caused by high-risk sexual behavior, for example, anal intercourse immediately followed by vaginal intercourse. Aging and Sex FAQ. "You want to make sure there is not some organic, or metabolic, or physical reason for [the lack of sexual desire]." Plus, it is important to make sure that herbal ingredients don't negatively interact with any medications you may be taking, says Whipple. For example, ArginMax contains gingko, which can promote bleeding. It is not an ingredient that would mix well with blood thinners such as aspirin or Coumadin. It’s an important part of our natural existence, and without it we tend to become unhealthy in body and mind. These are needs that, although very powerful when young, do not diminish with age. We still need the love and attention of other people as we grow older, even just the companionship of a good friend. Previous studies indicate that 20% to 30% of OCP users experience a reduction in sexual desire, 50% to 60% have no change, and 10% to 20% have increased desire. Hormonal contraception's effect on sexual desire is not simply a function of SHBG changes. Personal psychosexual factors,[27-29] the certainty of a high rate of contraceptive effectiveness, and the satisfaction of having control over fertility may all enhance the motivational component of sexual desire. Aging and Sex FAQ What is the difference between sexual arousal and sexual desire? In most women who are not experiencing sexual problems, libido and arousal are closely related and difficult to separate. Libido refers to a baseline interest in sex and might be redefined as sexual appetite. Physical changes in the vagina As perimenopause progresses, the drop in estrogen can create thinning, tightening, and dryness in the vulva and vagina. These changes can lead to such discomfort that some women come to dread sex because of the pain. In our practice we’ve observed that former Premarin and PremPro users are more likely to suffer such changes to the vaginal area. Female Sexual Arousal Disorder Let's hope not. As far as changing one thing, add a candle, put on some music, put your head at the foot of the bed instead of the head of the bed. Or leave one item of clothing on. Aging and Sex FAQ Too many times we forget that sexuality is not just about intercourse. If you feel nauseated or not well in some other way, you'll have to forgo the intercourse and stick with lots of holding and connecting. You'll have to be the judge of how you're feeling when he's there. All this sounds pretty straight forward, but have you ever considered doing it? The results might please you… By shedding a few pounds and reducing your cholesterol levels you increase the health of your entire circulatory system (directly improving blood flow to the penis), not to mention stabilizing blood sugar levels – even non-diabetics can get erection problems due to problems with their insulin levels. By eating smaller, healthier meals a little more regularly (4 – 5 smaller meals per day) you can dramatically reduce your chances of acquiring a diabetes-like condition during middle age – a major culprit in temporary impotence. Aging and Sex FAQ. We know that free radicals are formed naturally in the body by everyday processes like eating, drinking and breathing, and that’s because oxygen is such a powerful creator of free radicals. Think of how quickly fresh fruit turns brown when it’s cut open and exposed to the air! But scientists have also learned that free radical production is very dramatically accelerated by junk-food diets and non-nutritive diets, as well as the use of alcohol, tobacco, street drugs, and some medications and radiation.
Sex and age. Aging and Sex FAQ
