Courtesy of Prevention
A fulfilling sex life is one of the most important ways to stay connected to your partner and boost self-esteem. But great sex doesn't just happen on its own--and less so as you age. Your need for intimacy changes, and your body may not respond the same way it did when you were younger. Here, five common reasons that women over 40 find their libido lagging, and the scientific interventions that can get it happily humming along again.
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Libido Enhancing Drugs
Reason: You Have Low Testosterone
We tend to think
of testosterone as a "male" hormone. But small amounts--delicately
balanced with estrogen--fuel a woman's sex drive. Unfortunately, at
menopause testosterone starts to decline, which can cause desire to
plummet. Hormone therapy throws off the balance even more. A blood test
and your gynecologist can determine if low testosterone is to blame.
Luckily, studies show that stabilizing testosterone levels can rev up
arousal in postmenopausal women--and improve all areas of sexual
response, from lubrication to stronger, more powerful orgasms.
How Science Can Help
Testosterone gel
Although the FDA has not yet
approved a testosterone gel specifically for women, many doctors simply
prescribe the male version off-label or have a compound created by a
pharmacist (a female gel is in the works--see "2 Libido-Enhancing
Drugs" below). And no, it won't make you grow hair on your chin or give
you huge muscles. "The doses prescribed for women aren't large enough
to stimulate male characteristics," says Anita Clayton, MD, clinical
professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Virginia
and author of Satisfaction: Women, Sex, and the Quest for Intimacy.
Libido-boosting herbs
Certified sex researcher
Beverly Whipple, PhD, professor emerita at Rutgers University and
coauthor of The Science of Orgasm, recommends ArginMax for Women, a
nutritional supplement containing ginseng, ginkgo, multivitamins, and
minerals. Science backs her up. ArginMax increased sexual desire,
including clitoral sensation and orgasm frequency, in several studies.
In one, women taking the supplement daily for 4 weeks reported a 74%
improvement in satisfaction with their sex lives. In another study, men
taking the male version of ArginMax experienced similar results.
Birth control with benefits
"Ironically, oral
contraceptives increase levels of a protein that binds with
testosterone and makes it less available to get our brains thinking
about sex," says Clayton. But hormonal contraceptives that are inserted
into the vagina and release a minimal amount of localized hormone (such
as the NuvaRing), or are administered through the skin (such as a
patch) and nonhormonal methods (such as condoms or spermicides) can
free up that testosterone--and your sexual desire.
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