You may therefore be able to boost your sex life by promoting good self-esteem in the menopausal period. You can encourage and help your partner to:
- Focus on the good, not the bad;
- Identify achievements she has made throughout her life, and focus on these if she feels low;
- Challenge unrealistic expectations,
for example about her body shape or the ageing process; - Set realistic goals;
- Join an interest group or do volunteer work.
The values and roles expected of menopausal women vary between cultures, and a woman’s experience of menopause and its symptoms depends on how she is perceived culturally. Cultural factors such as diet, lifestyle, economic status and life expectancy can also influence her menopausal experience and her sexuality in the menopausal period.
During menopause, you can help keep your sex life great by thinking about how cultural beliefs influence your partner’s experience of menopause. Encourage her to do the same. For example, consider:
- How your culture/s might influence her experience of menopause, for example, whether or not the culture promotes valuable roles for menopausal women, how the culture views ageing bodies, and cultural attitudes towards older people having sex;
- Identify aspects of your culture/s which may negatively influence her experience of menopause; and
- Brainstorm ways in which cultural factors influencing the experience of menopause may be addressed. Continue reading “A woman’s self-esteem influences her sexuality, and low self-esteem is associated with sexual dysfunction”