While menopause is a normal, natural event for all women who live long enough, there is no universal menopause experience. However, for all women—including you—menopause can mark the start of an exciting and liberated new time of life.
There is more reason than ever to abandon old notions about menopause as the end of sex as you knew it.
As our society’s views of aging change—did someone say 50 is the new 30?—and as our understanding of sexuality and aging expands, there is more reason than ever to abandon old notions about menopause as the end of sex as you knew it. If you keep your body as active and healthy as you can and keep your emotional ties to your partner strong, there’s no reason you can’t enjoy satisfying sex well into old age. If bumps in the road come along—like vaginal atrophy or dwindling desire—remember that many treatments are out there for the taking.
If you’re not yet as healthy and active as you could be, look at menopause as the ideal time to begin or reinforce a program of healthier eating, more exercise, or better sleep habits. The benefits can pay off over the rest of your life and will extend beyond just the bedroom. And if your sex life has suffered some benign neglect in recent years, what better time to revive it than when you no longer need to worry about birth control or whether your period’s about to start? This time of life might also bring other changes, such as more privacy or a bit more free time, that you might use to devote to (or even redefine!) your health, your relationship, and your sex life.
And remember that your brain is your most powerful sexual organ. With the right attitude about your sexuality and some responsible choices about your health, your body can give you pleasure for years and years. Take care of it and enjoy.