Two thirds of British women are optimistic about having sex during the menopause, research suggests.
A survey of nearly 1,500 women of all ages has shown how sex during – and after – the menopause is perceived differently across countries.
Researchers asked women in the UK, USA, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden whether they thought it was ‘true or false’ that women don’t tend to have sex during the menopause.
Results show British women are most positive, with 66 per cent saying the statement was false compared to 61 per cent in the USA and 48 per cent of European women.
The survey was run by health website Treated, with the results discussed on the Let’s Talk Menopause podcast. Dr Annice Mukherjee, a hormone expert, explained that sex is a ‘very individual thing’, so the idea that women generally tend not to have sex during or after the menopause is not necessarily true.
She said: ‘I’m a doctor who asks people about sex all the time – that’s been my job for the last 20-30 years – so I hear all sorts of things. I’ve seen couples who are much older – post-menopausal women and their partners – who have a brilliant sex life.
Two thirds of British women are optimistic about having sex during the menopause , research suggests (Stock Image)
A survey of nearly 1,500 women of all ages has shown how sex during – and after – the menopause is perceived differently across countries
‘And I see younger adults – men and women – who are struggling with their sex drive and they’re full of hormones. So it’s difficult to say that menopause is the cause of sexual problems when there’s a whole load of other factors that can impact our sex life.’
The survey also revealed that 75 per cent of British women believed that their sex drive would be much lower after the menopause.
Studies suggest that, while a decrease in libido won’t affect everyone going through menopause the same way, sexual desire tends to drop during late menopause and in the early stages of post-menopause.
Dr Daniel Atkinson, clinical lead for the Treated website, added: ‘It’s about whether patients are content with that or not.
‘Some people, after menopause, don’t feel like having sex and really want to feel like having sex.
‘And there’s others that don’t feel like having sex and it’s not a problem for them. It’s about exploring whether that’s a problem for you or not.’
Other findings from the survey reveal that 31 per cent of British women don’t feel like they have enough support to understand and manage menopause.
Meanwhile more British women associated mental health problems such as depression with menopause compared to those in the USA and Europe.
Previous research has found almost half of women say they stopped having sex while going through the menopause, while 65 per cent said being menopausal has affected their marriage.
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