How can you be sexy in menopause?

Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russel--Cougar and cub

Carol Forsloff - "Feeling sexy and being sexually active is good for one's health and
sense of well-being.  It is good exercise and slows down aging."  That's the message of the American Association of Retired Persons and sex experts for menopause.

One of the most important ways a woman has of measuring her femininity is how sexy she feels, and there are some good reasons to be optimistic by following some scientific suggestions.

What social scientists and doctors say is that menopause should not signal the end of the love affair.  Great sex can occur after menopause,after the reproductive years and the frets and worries during that
period of time.

Some women expect to lose their sex drives after menopause,  but it isn't true it disappears.  Sexual intimacy is an ongoing thing and has many dimensions.  One's desire for sex doesn't decrease with age nor is it a symptom of menopause.

Indeed some women feeling sexier during and after menopause.  It's then, when there is a decline in men's function, and the need for a little more effort to be made in the experience, sex can still be satisfying for both partners.

Couples experiencing difficulty may want to seek out a sex therapist's advice.

Lack of desire at that certain age often accompanies certain physical and emotional factors, such as stress or depression.  This is why it is important for the woman to be open with her partner and her gynecologist.  Very often women don't want to talk about intimate issues with doctors, but doing so can help facilitate the solution for sexual dysfunction.  Experts tell us that the sex drive does not necessarily go away, and that the decline in desire is gradual.  And folks can perk it up with practice and playful interactions.

There are also ways to overcome vaginal dryness that affects some women's interest in sex.There are other aids to help the physical interaction during sex so that it is less painful.

Safe sex is also important to prevent transmitted diseases.

Experts remind us that healthy sex is healthy for the mind and body, especially during aging.  In fact they say because children are not around to interrupt and a couple have time to play together, sex can actually be better.  Besides there are new tools and a social permission slip from changes in the culture that unleash a variety of ideas for sex play and performance.

The conclusion from those who study safe sex with older adults and the function and satisfaction of sex life-long  is if you are saying to yourself  or your partner at menopause, you're too old for sex, you're wrong.  Think of some other excuse.

Health risks found in newly menopausal women with greater body massindex

 Westminster,

Colo. --GHN Editor--   Researchers from the American Physiological
Society found high body mass index (BMI) can cause health problems for
menopausal women.

In short it is important for women to establish a normal BMI because a high index relates to cardiovascular and other diseases.

Researchers
say they are only beginning to understand how that occurs but have
found that BMI affects physiological processes as well as circulation.
As BMI increases so do traditional cardiovascular risk factors that
include blood pressure, blood glucose, total cholesterol, LDL
cholesterol, triglycerides and high-sensitive C-reactive protein.

Muthuvel
Jayachandran, Assistant Professor of Physiology in the Mayo Clinic's
Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering in Rochester, Minn.,
is the lead author of the study which is entitled, "Body Mass Index and
Thrombogenic Factors in Newly Menopausal Women." He will present his
team's findings at the 2010 American Physiological Society (APS) conference, Inflammation, Immunity, and Cardiovascular Disease, in Westminster Colorado, August 25-28.

The
study looked at post-menopausal women aged 42 to 58. All women in the
study had their final menstrual period less than 36 months prior to
enrollment.

Although
most of the conventional risk factors were , for the most part, in the
normal range in all of the women, the researchers found that those with
higher BMI also had higher blood pressure, elevated levels of platelets,
and other negatives related to certain diseases, including heart
disease.

According
Dr. Jayachandran,"The upward trend in risk parameters among women in
the moderate and high BMI groups should be taken seriously. It indicates
that there may be more risk for cardiovascular disease. Early menopause
is a time to address life style changes that will reduce BMI and
therefore, cardiovascular risk," he said.