Hormone Replacement Therapy
As you age and go through perimenopause and menopause, your body experiences many changes, as your ovaries produce smaller amounts of the hormones estrogen and progesterone. As a result, you may experience a variety of symptoms that can interfere with your quality of life.
For example, menopausal hormone changes can cause hot flashes, night sweats, sleep problems, changes in your mood, and weight gain.
Menopause can also affect your sex life by reducing your libido and causing vaginal dryness.
Fortunately, many women can take advantage of hormone replacement therapy (HRT), a treatment that replaces some of the lost hormones of menopause and helps restore premenopausal hormone levels.
This can be an effective treatment for various types of hormone-related symptoms, including a decreased interest in sex.
At Virtuosa GYN in San Antonio, Texas, board-certified OB/GYN Susan Crockett, MD, and our team of women’s health specialists understand the impact that menopause can have on your well-being and your sex life.
Here, we explain how HRT may help you if you’re experiencing menopause-related loss of libido.
How menopause affects sex drive
Menopause can impact your sex drive in two ways.
First, the hormonal changes of menopause can actually influence how you feel about sex. Hormones play a role in sexual desire, arousal, sexual enjoyment, and even your ability to have an orgasm.
Second, as your hormone levels decrease, intercourse can feel less pleasurable. Blame this on vaginal dryness, which can make intercourse uncomfortable or even painful. It’s not surprising that vaginal discomfort can affect your interest in having sex.
A few other factors can also play a role in loss of libido during the menopause years, although they may not be directly related to hormone levels. These include:
- Marital difficulties
- Boredom with your partner
- Weight gain (you or your partner)
- Health symptoms caused by other medical conditions
Restoring your hormone levels
HRT helps reverse your loss of libido by replacing some of the hormones your body no longer makes.
Here at Virtuosa GYN, we opt to use bioidentical HRT for loss of libido and other menopausal symptoms. Bioidentical HRT uses natural hormones from plants rather than synthetic hormones.
This treatment provides estrogen, progesterone, and in some cases, testosterone, all of which are molecularly identical to the hormones that your body produces.
Dr. Crockett believes these natural hormones are more effective than their synthetic counterparts because your body can metabolize them more effectively.
If we recommend bioidentical HRT and you choose to avail yourself of this therapeutic option, you go through testing to determine your own personal hormone profile and the specific makeup of the HRT you should receive. That way, you get the precise hormone restoration that you need.
Start feeling better about sex
If you’re feeling less interested in sex, we invite you to schedule an evaluation. Loss of libido can have other causes aside from menopause, and we have the experience to identify causes and design appropriate treatment strategies for whatever may be affecting your sexual desire.
To make an appointment, contact us today at our San Antonio, Texas, office.
