Sexuality in Late Adulthood
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Beginning sometime in their forties, most women start to experience a normal biological process resulting in a decline in fertility. Usually between the ages of 45 and 55, a women's menstrual periods become irregular and eventually stop. Menopause, the complete cessation of menstruation for at least one yea. The average age a women goes through menopause is age 51. Most women experience some physiological or psychological symptoms during menopause.
Symptoms can appear as the woman's body attempts to adjust to the drop in estrogen levels. The most common symptoms of menopause are hot flashes, vaginal dryness, and sleeping disturbances. Another symptom, thinning of the vaginal walls, can result in the length and width of the vagina decreasing and the vagina not being able to expand during penile-vaginal intercourse. This can cause coitus to be painful.
To relieve the symptoms of menopause, a physician may prescribe menopausal hormone therapy (MHT), which are hormone combinations of estrogen and progestin to relieve symtoms. However, MHT carries some potential health risks so it is advised that a women speak with her physican to weight the risks and benefits of the treatment.
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