It is perhaps the most common complaint doctors hear from women going through 'the change': sex, once one of life's great pleasures, has become too painful to enjoy. But sexual activity during perimenopause - the transitional period to menopause - and after periods stop altogether, doesn't have to be an uncomfortable experience, says celebrity GP Dr Ginni Mansberg.
![[When Dr Mansberg speaks to these patients about their sex lives, they often admit they know they should have more sex, and some are quite surprised once the deed is done by how much they enjoyed it]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/10/18/00/88926861-13712777-When_Dr_Mansberg_speaks_to_these_patients_about_their_sex_lives_-a-6_1729206022284.jpg)
In fact, the three main issues that make women turn away from sex as they get older can be fixed within a matter of weeks. Dr Mansberg, an expert on perimenopause and star of TV's Embarrassing Bodies Down Under, has helped thousands of women get through the sometimes unbearable symptoms which come with that stage of life.
She explained pain during sex and low libido are the two most common reasons women 'shut up shop' later in life - to the disappointment of their husbands who often aren't ready to throw in the towel just yet. The first issue, painful sex, is usually due to vaginal dryness and will impact 80 per cent of women by the age of 60.
Sex without natural lubrication can be excruciating, and this is only made worse by sexual changes men experience later in life. 'Men last longer at that age, so even if you could lube up enough for a few minutes by the time they are finishing it's been painful for ages,' Dr Mansberg said.
