Available Therapies for Menopause-related Sexual Health Concerns
| Problem |
Possible therapies or actions to consider |
| Low libido / low sexual desire |
- First and foremost, examine your relationship and situation: What are the turnoffs? How can they be addressed?
- Identify medications that may curb desire (such as certain antidepressants or blood pressure drugs) and talk with your provider about lowering the dose or switching to alternatives
- Sex therapy/counseling
- Certain testosterone-containing products (not government-approved for treating low desire in women)
- Bupropion (not government-approved for treating low desire)
- Yoga
|
| Vaginal dryness / atrophy |
- Regular sexual activity or stimulation (promotes vaginal health and blood flow)
- Vaginal lubricants (for temporary relief of dryness before and during sex)
- Vaginal moisturizers (for longer-term relief from dryness)
- Low-dose vaginal estrogen therapy in cream, ring, or vaginal tablet form (reverses underlying atrophy and dryness)
- Higher-dose hormone therapy throughout the body via pills, patches, and other preparations (reverses underlying atrophy and dryness, but generally reserved for women with bothersome hot flashes)
|
| Arousal difficulties |
- Topical treatments for vaginal dryness/atrophy (see above)
- Vibrator or other mechanical devices (eg, clitoral therapy device)
- Sex therapy/counseling
- Bupropion (not government-approved for treating arousal difficulties)
- Viagra-like drugs (PDE-5 inhibitors) to increase blood flow to the clitoris (not government-approved for treating female arousal difficulties)
- Yoga
|
| Orgasm difficulties |
- Sex therapy/counseling
- Yoga
|
| Pain during sex |
A variety of therapies are available depending on the source of the pain:
- Vaginal moisturizers, lubricants. If pain doesn’t improve, see your provider.
- Vaginal estrogen
- Sex therapy/counseling
- Vaginal dilators
- Pelvic floor physical therapy
- Kegel exercises
- Symptom-specific medications (eg, steroid creams for vaginal inflammation, antibiotic creams or pills for vaginal infections)
- Yoga
|
