Pleasure from kerewa don end sake of menopause? - sabi pipo tok how you fit still enjoy am

Low sex drive, vaginal dryness and extreme mood swings. Dis na some of di symptoms women dey face wen dem dey pass through menopause.

For plenti of dem, dis changes fit start from up to ten years bifor menopause, for di period wey dem dey call perimenopause.

Suzan dey her mid-40s and dey live for Vancouver, Canada. She dey go through perimenopause and say, "sex just turn too painful. I still get konji, but di pain no allow me. I bin no know wetin dey happun and to be honest e take me a while to carry di mata go meet my doctor".

Wit longer life expectancy, women now fit live about one third of dia life postmenopausal. Menopause na wen women period stop sake of lower hormone levels. Dis na wen woman reproductive years dey end and e fit bring plenti physical and psychological changes.

Dr Aziza Sesay wey be general practitioner and health education advocate for di UK say vagina dryness wey fit cause painful sex na direct result of di reduction of oestrogen hormone levels. But since for many culture na taboo make woman tok about sex, she say "plenti women dey wey believe say painful sex dey normal and na our responsibility as women for heterosexual relationships to endure dis pain to please our men".

Dr Aziza say becos of dose kain beliefs, many women fit no directly come meet am about dis wahala. She add say "dem fit continue to suffer in silence".

Hormones and hidden symptoms

Oestrogen na di hormone wey dey responsible for libido, togeda wit testosterone wey di ovaries dey follow release. Once dis hormone levels start to drop, women go face change for dia sexual desire.

Rosie na 45 years old wey dey dey live for Germany. She go through hysterectomy at di age of 30 afta she find out say she get ovarian cancer. Dis surgery cause early forced menopause. She tell di BBC say say di changes wey she face bin dey drastic. She say, "I bin dey enjoy sex well-well, all of a sudden e don go. I bin no fit feel any physical stimulation."

DR. Nazanin Maali, a psychologist and sex therapist for California, say most times women wey dey go through menopause dey come meet am becos of lack of konji and pain during sex. She explain say "in many cases, dem dey feel stuck. But dem be also plenti women wey wan knack, just say no be chuku-chuku sex dem want again".

But no be just vaginal dryness or low libido dey make women no dey want sex for dis time of dia lives o. For 49 years old Yas wey dey live for UK, back to back UTI na di reason wey she no wan knack again. She tell di BBC say "I lose all interest for sex becos evri time e dey come wit veri painful infections".

DR. Sesay explain say UTIs na side effect of lower oestrogen levels. She say, "Pipo dey reason oestrogen like say na only periods or reproductive aspect na di only work im get but oestrogen na ogbonge hormone wey dey work all ova our bodi, from hair to skin. Oestrogen na im dey lubricate di vagina and urethral and drop for oestrogen dey make di tissue wey dey around di urethral to dey thin and dry and to dey more prone to infections."

For many cultures, women sexuality dey only dey defined as e relate to reproduction and so misconception dey say women sex life dey end afta menopause. DR. Maali add say to value women for dia youth fit make dis time of di lives hard and "e dey come for some women wit sense of grief".

But she also tok say she get clients "wey start to dey knack di best knacks of dia lives post-menopause".

Which kain treatments dey available?

According to Dr. Maali, "all dis menopause challenges get solutions and dem be many medical and non-medical interventions wey fit help women to get active sex lives and bring more pleasure".

65 year old Haldita dey live for London and her sex life start to boom afta menopause as e match her divorce. She tell di BBC say "I bin separate at 43 and my perimenopause symptoms start by 45-46. I dey like Yes! Finally I don free. I actually start to dey get veri healthy and exciting sex life den".

Wen e come to reopen sex life Dr Maali top tip na to "re-evaluate your sexual script". She say we all "get picture of wetin sex suppose look like and wetin be good sex but as our bodies dey change we gatz upgrade and change dis mental script, at dis stage for your life, ask yoursef wetin be good sex for me?"

She also torchlight foreplay and to explore none-penetrative pleasure. "Changes for di vaginal tissue fit mean less sensitivity for dia, so e fit help if you introduce sex toys like vibrators".

And if menopause symptoms dey affect your sex life, Dr. Aziza Sesay advise to "find help and change your doctor if e dey necessary, no give up and no dey shame".

According to Dr. Sesay "treatment-wise HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) na di first in line. E dey come in different ways, patch, gel and pill. Some pipo no fit use hormones wey dey pass through blood life pills but topical ones dey wey dem fit use directly for vagina".

Neda wey dey stay for New Zealand no fit take HRT pills becos of her cancer. She say "but dem give me topical one wen I say I want HRT to improve my sex life. Becos dem diagnose me wit aggressive type of cancer mean say doctors no prioritise my sex life".

Dr Aziza say ova di counter treatments also dey like lubricants and vaginal moisturisers but she tok say make pipo check ingredients for any sensitivities. For pipo wey dey face weakening of di pelvic floor muscles, pelvic floor physiotherapy dey. But wetin she suggest to evribodi weda dem dey menopausal or not na "lifestyle changes. Exercise, chop fruits and vegetables, cut down or stop drinking. No smoke, maintain your weight."

One tin Dr Sesay be advocate for na sef-care. "Self-care no dey selfish. Try remove stress from your environment. Women dey normally take on so much as if we be Superwoman. Ask for help and if you no like to ask for help at least accept am wen dem give am to you."