DR DAWN’S medical notes…
FIFTY, THEY SAY, IS THE NEW 40, but if my consulting room is anything to go by, that isn’t always the case in the bedroom around the time of the menopause. I see too many women who appear to be fighting nature and keeping fit (playing golf, training for long-distance runs or staying fabulously flexible with yoga and Pilates) – but have all but given up on a sex life. Some women come to see me because they have no libido, and others admit to avoiding any sexual contact only after I’ve asked them directly if sex is painful. And, of course, the two can be inextricably linked. Sex is supposed to be fun and, if it hurts, your sex drive may take a turn for the worse.
To be fair, it’s normal for sex drive in both men and women to reduce in later years and there’s nothing wrong with that. The problems start when there’s a mismatch in libido between partners.