Women's Sexual Health: Vital at Any Age

Women's Sexual Health: Build the Connection that Supports Healthy Life

Choose to Connect to Live

Women's sexual health is foundational to the connection that supports a long and healthy life. Chris Crowley and Dr. Henry Lodge comment in their book, Younger Next Year for Women (2007):

Hundreds of studies confirm that isolation hurts us and connection heals us through the same basic, physical mechanisms as exercise and diet....The list goes on for pages and pages, and the point is that connecting is a biological imperative. (p. 311)

If isolation is limbic death, sex is limbic life, bringing with it the benefits of touch, emotional connection, love. And, not surprising, it's a healthy thing to do. Interestingly, studies suggest that men live longer in direct proportion to the frequency of sex, while women live longer in direct proportion to the quality of sex. Sexuality, which is the limbic component of touch and emotional connection, is more important than physical sex, and if you can't have sex for some reason, snuggling works almost as well. (p. 314-315)

Sexuality: Use It or Lose It

Most of our body parts become stronger (for longer) when we use them. For women, "healthy sexual function can be measured in regular and enjoyable sexual activity." As we age and go through menopause, "women who don't have sex will experience accelerated thinning of vaginal walls and inability to enjoy intercourse later on." (YOU Staying Young, p. 271)

There are so many ways to stimulate, play with and maintain our sexuality, whether we are physically able to have sex at this time in our life, or not. We can always find, create and enjoy opportunities to enjoy the touching, cuddling and connection of physical contact.

Stay Up to Date on Whacky Hormones

Every system in our bodies is controlled by hormones. Hormones have been given a bad rap and blamed for much suffering: cramps, moodiness, acne, infertility, dry skin and brittle bones and many other ills. The truth is, having balanced hormones at any age will increase health and feelings of well-being while guarding us against osteoporosis and cancer.

Hormone therapy and hormone replacement is controversial, especially now that there is evidence that:

1. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) replacing estrogen lost in peri-menopause and menopause with manufactured hormones is probably not safe.

The Women's Health Initiative begun in 1997, monitored the health of 162,000 women on Premerin/Provera therapy. (Premarin is estrogen manufactured from horse urine.) After 5 1/2 years the study of women on a combination therapy, Premarin plus Provera, was halted due to alarming results, a higher number of aggressive breast cancers and higher incidence of cardiovascular complications. Two years later the second arm of the study was halted studying women on Premarin by itself because the risks outweighed the benefits.

2. Bio-identical hormones may be natural but not necessarily safe.

In books published in 2004 and 2006, celebrity author Suzanne Sommers advocated the use of bio-identical hormones available from compounding pharmacies. She demonstrated some amazing benefits of natural hormones that are identical to our own hormones (rather than synthetic drugs or those manufactured from animals that mimic human hormones). However, it has also been demonstrated that estrogen by itself can be a highly toxic hormone.

What's a woman to do? And whose advice should we follow?

More of my story might help you decide--not what to do--but how to go about finding what is right for you.

Kate and Georgia: Mother and Daughter with Estrogen Dominance