It’s not me, it’s YOU! Loss of libido in menopausal women is often down to erectile dysfunction in their husbands, scientists claim
- Researchers interviewed women over the age of 60 about their low libido
- Erectile dysfunction was a key contributor to their lack of interest in sex
- Women said it made sex less satisfying or caused difficult conversations
It’s long been said that a fall in hormones is the reason why women undergoing the menopause endure a loss of libido.
But scientists have now claimed the common problem may be triggered by erectile dysfunction among their ageing husbands.
University of Pittsburgh academics quizzed 36 women over the age of 60 about their low libido.
They discovered their lack of sex drive stemmed largely from their partner’s difficulty to maintain an erection.
Some of the women admitted impotence made sex less satisfying or caused hard conversations, leading them to lose interest.
Other factors were postmenopausal vaginal symptoms – such as dryness, fatigue or body pain, life stressors and negative body image.
Menopausal often lose their libido because of their husband’s sexual dysfunction, scientists claim on the back of interviews with women (stock)
Writing in the journal Menopause, Dr Holly Thomas and colleagues said it shouldn’t be assumed low libido is simply a ‘normal’ part of ageing.
She said: ‘If a woman is having sexual problems, what’s going on with her partner may be contributing. Sex doesn’t occur in a vacuum.
‘Some women find workarounds, but others get stonewalled by their partner because he feels defensive.
‘As women we’re encouraged to be accommodating, so we learn to tamp down our own needs and desires, and prioritize those of others.’
Half of the participants were interviewed privately. The others took part in focus groups.
Dr Thomas said it was surprising to hear the women highlight sexual dysfunction in their male partners as a major contributor.
Impotence appears to impact a woman’s libido in two ways, mainly through sex being less satisfying with erection difficulties.
The second is male partners can often be unwilling to discuss their dysfunction, becoming defensive and frustrated.
In both situations, the women find themselves less interested in having sex in the future, the researchers said.
‘Male partners sometimes became blaming, defensive, angry, or ashamed,’ Dr Thomas and colleagues wrote.
‘A few women even discussed how they have “given up” on trying to discuss erectile dysfunction with partners, and, in fact, had de-prioritized their own sexual needs in response.’
The NHS estimates that approximately half of all men aged 40 to 70 suffer from some degree of erectile dysfunction.
Although there are medications available, such as over-the-counter Viagra, women in the study said they are expensive.
Taking a sex-enhancing pill often requires sex to be planned, which removes the spontaneity and romance of sex, the women said.
The study also found for some women, despite having retired from their jobs and their children moving out, they were still too stressed to view sex as a priority.
For instance, one woman cited the emotional burden of caring for her ailing mother while simultaneously supporting her daughter through recovery from a substance use disorder.
Research in this area has mostly focused on older women’s hormones, Dr Thomas said.
This study – which had a small sample – suggests there are many factors contributing to low libido that can be addressed.
The menopause occurs between 45 and 55 years of age. In the UK, the average age for a woman to reach the menopause is 51.