What happens to sex in midlife? A look at the "bedroom gap" | Maria Sophocles
Apr 5, 2024
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Gynecologist Maria Sophocles discusses the 'bedroom gap' in midlife, highlighting overlooked menopausal symptoms like painful sex. She advocates for education, medical advancements, and a new understanding of menopause to make sex pleasurable and comfortable for everyone.
Menopause affects women's sexual health with symptoms like painful sex, highlighting the 'bedroom gap'.
Advocating for education and destigmatizing menopausal sexual issues can help bridge the 'bedroom gap'.
Deep dives
Identification of the Bedroom Gap
The podcast discusses the concept of the bedroom gap, which highlights the sexual challenges faced by menopausal women, focusing on issues like loss of libido and painful intercourse. Dr. Sophocles explains how menopause affects the production of estrogen in women, leading to changes in collagen and blood vessels, resulting in discomfort during intercourse and decreased lubrication. The bedroom gap is influenced by both biological changes and societal gender roles, impacting women's sexual health and relationships, while men have had medical solutions like Viagra for erectile dysfunction.
Medical Responses and Gender Disparities
Dr. Sophocles addresses the disparity in medical responses to sexual issues faced by menopausal women, with many doctors inadequately trained or uncomfortable discussing these topics. The lack of proper medical training, especially regarding menopause and sexual health, contributes to women not receiving necessary care, as highlighted by the limited lectures on menopause in medical programs. Despite the availability of treatment options, such as vaginal estrogen, a collective fear of estrogen and cancer risk hinders women from seeking and utilizing these solutions.
Advocacy for Sexual Health Equality
The podcast emphasizes the importance of advocacy for closing the bedroom gap and promoting sexual health equality. Dr. Sophocles suggests educating oneself from credible sources, engaging in open conversations with clinicians and partners without shame or blame, and reframing sexual and genital health as an ongoing maintenance project. She calls for a shift in sexual education towards prioritizing equal sexual pleasure for both men and women, emphasizing the link between sexual health, overall well-being, and gender equality in sexual pleasure.
Menopause isn't just hot flashes, says gynecologist and sexual medicine specialist Maria Sophocles. It's often accompanied by overlooked symptoms like painful sex or loss of libido. Shedding light on what she calls the "bedroom gap," or the difference in sexual expectations of men and women in midlife due to societal norms, Sophocles advocates for education, medical advancement and a new understanding of menopause — because sex should be pleasurable and comfortable for everyone.