Sex after Menopause: A Vibrant Nation Webinar

Vibrant Nation, a leading online community for women 45+, held its first ever Live webcast discussion on March 31, 2015.The topic of the event was Sex After Menopause. Dr. Barb DePree, a Vibrant Nation sexual health expert and blogger, led a panel of women in sharing stories and advice for getting the spark back in the bedroom.

Best take away analogy? The menopausal vagina can be compared to a pencil skirt:

A vagina before menopause is more like the relaxed, carefree pleated skirt:

Dr. Depree gave insightful and practical suggestions as to how to get your flare back! The webcast was excellent, with clear explanations and plenty of information.

And if you missed the broadcast, you can view it right now! Take it away, Dr. DePree (and thanks to you and Vibrant Nation).

What Is Menopause?

Using Lubricants

Is there a Viagra for Women?

Use It or Lose It: Tips on Sexual Maintenance

Can Estrogen Help You?

How Can We Be Proactive & Prevent Painful Sex?

Here’s the link to these videos on the Vibrant Nation Site.

Disclosure: I’m participating in a Vibrant Influencer network campaign for Vibrant Nation. I’m receiving a fee for posting; however, the opinions expressed in this post are my own. I’m not affiliated with Vibrant Nation and don’t earn a commission or percent of sales.

Sex After Menopause: A Vibrant Nation Live Webcast

Sex and menopause.

What a topic, a topic that’s often top on our list of menopausal concerns. Vibrant Nation, a leading online community for women 45+, is sponsoring a Live webcast discussion, “Sex After Menopause,” on March 31 at 1:00 PM (EST).

Here’s why they chose to focus on this complicated and sometimes touchy (no pun intended!) topic:

“We women deal with many physical and emotional changes during and after menopause. Some of these changes can take a real toll on our relationships, including our sex life.

To complicate matters, it’s often difficult to find straightforward, trustworthy information about how to deal with issues like changes in our libido and pain during sexual intercourse.”

Vibrant Nation sexual health expert and blogger, Dr. Barb DePree, will lead a panel of women in sharing their stories and advice for getting that spark back in the bedroom.

And guess who’s going to be on the panel? Me!

Sign up here to attend. See you then!

And here’s the link to a post Dr. Dupree wrote for Friend for the Ride.

Disclosure: I am participating in a Vibrant Influencer Network campaign. I am receiving a fee for posting; however, the opinions expressed in this post are my own. I am in no way affiliated with Pfizer and do not earn a commission.

The sponsor has asked that I turn comments off for this post, but if you have any questions, just email me. My address is on the right.

It’s Time to Talk About Sex after Menopause

The Women’s Health Foundation wants us to shout it from the rooftops:

It’s time to talk about sex after menopause!

 Learn more about their campaign here.  (Bloggers, they especially want your support).

Missy Lavender, founder and executive director of the Women’s Health Foundation, gives us this advice about having those conversations:

It’s a question I get asked all the time — how do I broach the subject of sex after menopause with my health care provider?

 First, I tell women they’re not alone in needing some answers, but I know starting the dialogue can be difficult.

Dr. Corrado Altomare, the Vice President of US Medical Affairs at Shionogi Inc., a Women’s Health Foundation partner, recently wrote a blog on our website about techniques for starting the conversation.  He suggests opening with something like, “Is it normal for…” as a prelude to your question.  

Ask about hot flashes, painful intercourse or weight gain.

 Then end the discussion with another question, “Is there anything I can do about it?”

 If you’re afraid, try rehearsing your questions, or write them down and hand them to your health care provider.  

Always use your own words and don’t be compelled to use confusing medical jargon.  

I bet you’ll be surprised by the results.  Most doctors know it’s uncomfortable to talk about sex and often wait for patients to bring up the subject.  

So, don’t be afraid!  Commit to having that conversation today!

Me again: Here are ways we can support the Women’s Health Foundation in the campaign:

1)     Share this video, featuring menopause experts such as Dr. Susan Kellogg-Spadt, CRNP, PhD and Dr. Lauren Streicher, about the campaign and the importance of talking to your provider about sex after menopause, https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=QiHjRZrRFxQ.

2)      Sign up via the crowdspeaking platform Thunderclap and commit to having “the conversation.”

3)      Leverage your social voice via Twitter, Facebook, and/or Tumblr and encourage your friends and followers to do the same – below are some sample tweets/posts:

• Women spend approx. 1/3 of life post-menopause. Should they stop having sex? NO! Help get the conversation going: http://ow.ly/yCsO1
• Even your vagina ages – about 32M women in the U.S. have vulvar and vaginal atrophy,#itstimetotalkaboutmenopause http://ow.ly/yCsOd
• Sex is a fundamental part of satisfaction in life and love, even after menopause. Join the conversation: ow.ly/z6vgg
• An estimated 6K U.S. women reach menopause every day often resulting in painful sex, #itstimetotalkaboutmenopausehttp://ow.ly/yCsOd.

The campaign kicked off on Independence Day, to celebrate the sense of freedom and empowerment the foundation hopes women will gain by speaking with their healthcare provider. It will culminate on September 1, the first day of National Menopause Awareness Month, a month that shines the spotlight on health issues facing menopausal women.

So let’s shout it from the rooftops:

 It’s time to talk about sex after menopause!