We’ve talked a lot about BHRT therapy recently, so let’s look at it from the point of view of the other topic here: sexual vitality.
Sex. It’s easy to have a skewed view of sex if you’re exposed to as much media as most American women are. We’ve gone from sexual repression to over-sexed media in just a few decades. Even the small gap between Generation Xers and Millennials can cause extreme differences regarding expectations around women’s sex drive. And that’s without mentioning the gap between Baby Boomers and the younger generations!
For example, Gen-Xers now going into menopause are trying to break through into a new understanding of women’s sexual vitality post-menopause. Because of the climate in which they’ve grown up, it’s already hard enough for Gen-Xers to openly embrace their sexual vitality. It’s even harder to decide that BHRT therapy could be a good option to treat the symptoms associated with post-menopause.
Unfortunately, if a Gen-X woman asks a post-menopausal baby boomer about hormone replacement therapy, she’s most likely to get a negative response. This leaves Gen-Xers navigating the new world of BHRT feeling skeptical and confused about whether BHRT therapy is safe. Not only that but wondering if hormone optimization can do anything to treat post-menopausal symptoms such as low sex drive.
We’re here to open the door for women who’ve moved beyond their fertile years, and support them in their desire to be sexually vital post-menopause.
We believe that libido and sexual function are a central part of a woman’s medical strategy for healthy aging.
So let’s get started with understanding how hormones affect the female sex drive. Then we’ll move on to solutions for post-menopause low/no libido.
Hormones and Sex Drive
Your sex hormones not only define what type of characteristics your body will have (male or female). They also affect sex drive, desire, and sexual arousal. Estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone all work in concert to fuel a woman’s sexual vitality. So, what happens when a hormone imbalance occurs, particularly in post-menopause?
Post-menopause is really an extreme hormone imbalance. That’s because your ovaries have completely stopped making estrogen. This deficiency affects your progesterone and testosterone levels.
What does that have to do with sexual vitality?
Low/no estrogen + low testosterone + high progesterone = a recipe for sexual apathy:
- High levels of estrogen promote vaginal lubrication and increase sexual desire. No estrogen can lead to a dry vagina and no sex drive.
- Increases in progesterone tend to reduce sexual desire.
- Low levels of testosterone may lead to reduced sexual desire in some women.
Testosterone? In women? Really?
Yes! Testosterone plays a role in a woman’s mood and motivation, energy, sex drive, muscle development, and bone health.
A woman’s body produces 0.25 milligrams of testosterone a day. This is a significantly lower amount than a man’s production rate of 4 to 7 milligrams. But it’s still enough to affect how a woman’s body functions. In particular, people call testosterone the “desire” hormone. It feeds a woman’s libido and promotes sexual pleasure by causing sensitivity in the nipples and clitoris.
DHEA also affects sexual desire because it’s a precursor hormone. Your body can convert it into testosterone. DHEA levels naturally decrease as women age. You then produce as little as five to 10 percent of the amount you produced during your reproductive years.
It’s Okay to Embrace Sexual Vitality
Just in case no one has told you this yet, there’s no shame in wanting to feel sexually vital even after menopause.
Up until recently, sexuality after menopause received little attention from the traditional medical community. In centuries past, there was no need. A woman’s life expectancy was much less than it is today.
In 1900, a white woman might only live to 49 years old and a black woman to 34 years old. During that time, black women weren’t even living to their menopausal years – and few white women were making it past perimenopause. One hundred twenty years later, the average life expectancy of all women was 80. That’s a solid 30-40 extra years of living! So, of course, 42 million post-menopausal women in the United States want solutions for low sex drive!
BHRT Therapy for Sexual Vitality Post-Menopause
If you’re post-menopausal and have low or no hormone levels, and that’s impacting your sexual vitality, mood, energy, and ability to gain muscle, the easiest approach is to increase them. Modern science has given us that option with bio-identical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT).
Bioidentical hormones are man-made hormones. They’re derived from naturally occurring plant-based sources that are identical to the hormones produced by the human body. These hormones easily attach to your natural hormone receptors. They therefore create an open line of communication between the hormone and the system it’s supporting.
Are you worried about having BHRT therapy?
It takes time to dispel the myths around hormone replacement therapy. In the 1980s, there were concerns about health risks associated with HRT. However, many of these concerns stemmed from poorly designed studies with skewed results. Today, researchers know a lot more about how BHRT works. They also know more about its associated health-promoting benefits.
Take a look at the stats:
The use of compounded BHRT is very common among American menopausal women. According to The North American Menopause Society (NAMS), about 1.4 million women use compounded BHRT. Of all HRT prescribed to women, a whopping 40% is prescribed to those in menopause.
BHRT therapy safety considerations
Bioidentical hormones that the FDA approves have passed very strict standards. They’re safe for people to use. Compounded bioidentical hormones, on the other hand, have not gone through the FDA’s testing, however. This means they have not been proven to be safe or unsafe. Although some major medical groups don’t support using them, others find that compounded hormones might be better. This is because doctors can control the source, dose, and mix of hormones for their clients, making their administration personalized to the patient.
Personalized medicine is what we do at Nava Center. So let us help you get your zing back!
Contact us for a BHRT therapy consultation today!
Health and wellness resources
What Causes Low Blood Pressure in Women? Common Causes, Symptoms & When to Seek Care
Why Do I Feel Tired but Can’t Sleep? Causes, Treatments, and What to Do
NAD IV Therapy Side Effects: What to Know Before an Infusion
