Sex,

Menopause,
and Aging

Overview

The menopause transition

Sexual changes during and after
menopause
Early menopause
Hormone replacement therapy
Aging and sexuality in men and women
The andropause - male menopause?

Menopause

Ovaries become less responsive

to FSH and LH
Patterns of GnRH release from the
hypothalamus become altered
Pituitary gland becomes less
responsive to GnRH

Perimenopause

Average age at onset in the late

40s
Irregular menstrual cycles
Somatic and psychological
symptoms emerge

Post-menopause

12 months of amenorrhea
Elevated FSH levels
On average, reached by the early
50s

Is that all?
No! The ovaries continue to
produce androgens after
menopause!

Factors that may affect

timing of menopause

Smoking
Genetics
Number of pregnancies
Body mass

Symptoms of
menopause

Hot flashes
Mood swings
Vaginal dryness
Vaginal atrophy
Fatigue, weight gain, sleep
disorders, headache, cognitive
changes..

Menopause across
cultures

Do all women experience

menopause as a major negative
life event?

www.youngeryoun
ger.com
Study
after study documents the astonishing
effects that estrogen makes women not only
feel better but healthier. Estrogen vastly
improves the quality of day-to-day life for
women by making them more youthful,
energized, and healthier.
www.youthtek.com

www.no-wrinkles.com

www.agelessforever.net

Sexual changes at
menopause

Decreased sexual desire

Lower levels of vaginal lubrication
More painful sexual intercourse
What doesnt change?

Early menopause

Surgical menopause
Removal of the ovaries, usually
accompanied by hysterectomy

Menopause induced by treatment

for cancer
Radiation therapy
Chemotherapy

Early natural menopause

Early natural
menopause

Autoimmune disorders
Genetics
Problems in ovarian development
Chromosomal irregularity
Triple X syndrome
Faulty second X chromosome

Hormone replacement

Estrogen: systemic or local

Estrogen + progesterone
Androgen replacement?
Potential benefits
Possible side effects

Aging and sexuality

How do you tell what is caused by

menopause and what is caused
by natural aging?
A recent longitudinal study
concluded that sexual arousal and
orgasm are affected by both
aging and menopause

Sexuality in the elderly

Healthy sexual relationships may

continue into old age
Common problems associated
with aging include:

Sexual dysfunction
Death of partner
Cultural attitudes towards sexuality
Health problems

The andropause

Progressive decline of androgens

over time
Symptoms: erectile dysfunction,
cognitive impairment, fatigue,
vague somatic symptoms
40% of men have ED by age 40
Over two-thirds of men by age 70

Is the andropause a disorder?