It has often been claimed that women become more sexually confident in later life.
But a new survey has found that they enjoy the best years of their
sex life in their twenties, while the forties and fifties aren’t that
fabulous after all.
The poll discovered that women often become plagued by insecurity in the bedroom as they get older.
Instead of life beginning at 40 - in reality, women in this age
group are feeling anxious, unattractive and unaroused. However, many
fail to realise their symptoms are actually the first sign of the
menopause, experts say.
This time of life is known as the perimenopause - and is the
transition stage to the point when a woman has her final period and
becomes infertile.
The research, commissioned by online vitamin company Healthspan,
discovered that over a third of women are now going into perimenopause
as early as 40. This means some are spending, on average, 10-20 years
suffering from a range of symptoms such as hot flushes, insomnia, mood
swings, anxiety, depression, sore joints and a weak bladder.
Worryingly nearly three quarters of all women interviewed admitted that the perimenopause is affecting their relationships.
And nearly half claimed they no longer felt attractive, and nearly
two thirds said they no longer wanted sex with their partners, the
survey found. It revealed women are at their most sexually confident
between the ages of 21 and 30 when they are full of energy, and oozing
with body confidence.
A decade later and that enthusiasm has been eroded, with more than
one in four women aged 41 to 45 branding those years the worst for their
sex life.
They revealed a lack of energy, no sex drive and disliking their bodies was to blame for removing sex from their daily agendas.
Dr Sarah Brewer, a GP and author of ‘Overcoming Low Sex Drive’, said: 'The perimenopause affects most areas of women’s lives.
'More than half of women say their partner would definitely be up for more sex, but sadly, they have no libido anymore.
'Nearly a third said weight gain meant they no longer felt attractive.'
Despite the amount of information available on the menopause, Dr Brewer said:
'I was surprised to that nearly half of women didn’t even know what the
perimenopause is and that 60 per cent haven’t sought help from their
doctor.
'What’s shocking is that so many women are suffering and battling through middle age without help.'
Indeed, 90 per cent of women said they would like more help with dealing with all stages of the menopause.
The research also showed that the perimenopause and menopause is
affecting women’s mental state of health, with and that women in
Northern Ireland and the West Midlands struggling the most.
Dr Hilary Jones, a GP, added: 'Fluctuating hormones can lead to low mood.
'In fact, three quarters of women stated that they suffer from
low mood and over a third of those surveyed have had to adjust their
lives to deal with the affects that the perimenopause has on their
bodies.
om.'
And the perimenopause can also undermine the hard-won
self-confidence that women have built up by their 40s and 50s, says
psychotherapist Sally Brown.
'The research showed over half of the women questioned said that they had lost their self-confidence.
'It’s not known why hormonal upheaval should have this effect,
but it may be linked to the drop in oestrogen, which helps make
serotonin, the feel-good chemical in the brain.
'What’s surprising is how many are suffering in silence - 78 per cent said they don’t discuss it even with other women.'
He said there was an 'education job' that needed to be done to help women overcome the symptoms of the perimenopause, 'to avoid a decade of anxiety and depression'.
He added: 'Don’t be afraid to go to your GP and discuss your
symptoms, there is a range of both natural and conventional treatments
out there to help significantly.'
Dr Brewer continued: 'Interestingly, all age groups said they
would rather treat their symptoms naturally, and many women are opting
for positive lifestyle changes such as exercise and dietary approaches
to deal with their symptoms.'
The research was split 50/50 between women saying HRT is safe and not safe to use.
'The debate around HRT still concerns many women,' says Dr Brewer.
'Many women were choosing natural supplements such as soy
isoflavones, along with Evening Primrose Oil, diet and exercise to help
deal with their symptoms.'
Source: Dailymail
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