Can a Woman Have an Orgasm after Menopause?

The onset of menopause changes our bodies, leaving many women wondering about sex after menopause.

Hormonal changes can have an impact on libido and the enjoyment of intercourse, but don’t let that be a deterrent. Sex after menopause may be different, but you can orgasm after menopause, and we’ll explore how. 

Enjoy Sex After Menopause

Menopause is a natural transition for women during which your body goes through major hormonal changes. Women actually transition through pre-menopause, menopause and post-menopause, and symptoms vary. Some of the side effects could impact your sex life, as some women experience vaginal dryness that can make sex painful, and changes in libido or sex drive, among other impacts.1

While menopause changes the body, it does not have to mean an end to sexual pleasure. This article by the Pelvic Awareness Project explores how hormonal shifts may affect orgasms and offers solutions such as lubrication, pelvic floor support, and relaxation techniques. The article empowers women with practical tools to rediscover intimacy and enjoy sex after menopause.

What Happens to Your Body in Menopause

Menopause is when a woman has gone 12 consecutive months without a menstrual period, and happens on average at age 52. It begins with perimenopause, which can last several months or several years. Menopause is when you’ve gone without a period for 12 consecutive months, and is followed by postmenopause, the time after menopause. You stay in postmenopause for the rest of your life.1 

While symptoms of menopause can ease up as you enter postmenopause, some women continue to have menopausal symptoms for several years in postmenopause. Want to know more about this time of change? Review this in-depth look at Everything You Need to Know About Menopause.

Some of those changes to your body can affect sex after menopause, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still enjoy being intimate with your partner. 

How Sex Can Change After Menopause

Many women report changes in menopause that impact their sex life. More than half of the women in one study, for instance, were at risk of what the researchers called sexual dysfunction, reporting issues with sexual desire and interest, comfort, orgasm, and satisfaction.2 

It’s possible to understand the changes that happen to your body and your emotions, and continue to enjoy intimacy after menopause.

Vaginal Dryness

The main hormonal change that occurs in menopause is a drop in the production of estrogen. This can reduce the natural lubrication in the vagina, and cause the vaginal canal to become less stretchy. As a result, sex can be less enjoyable and at times even painful. Consider trying a lubricant or vaginal moisturizer to help ease the pain and make sexual activities more comfortable.3

Lower Sex Drive

A lowered libido or sex drive is another side effect some women experience after menopause. As you age, blood fills your genitals more slowly as you become sexually aroused. That means you may not have the same sensitivity that you once experienced.3 A decrease in hormones can also decrease your sex drive.4 Communicate openly with your partner about the changes you’re undergoing, and how it impacts your body. 

Stress, Anxiety, and Lack of Sleep

Stress and anxiety can also play a role in inhibiting your sex drive and making it difficult to achieve orgasm. Some women have night sweats and other problems with sleeping, which can lead to irritability and a general lack of energy. When you’re tired, sex may be the last thing on your mind! Once again, being open with your partner will help alleviate any additional anxiety you may be feeling.

Orgasm After Menopause

All these changes make it seem like nature didn't want us to be sexually active after menopause! That means we may need to be creative to make sure we can still enjoy sex and have an orgasm after menopause. There could be emotional, physical, and medical factors playing a role in sabotaging your response.5

Ask Your Doctor

The first step is to see your doctor and have an open dialog about the changes and what they mean for sex. Hormone replacement therapy, for instance, may help improve libido and sexual response, but has to be weighed with any possible health impacts. You can also ask about any medications you’re taking, since some medicine may impact sex drive. Remember that if you’re in perimenopause, it’s still possible to get pregnant, so be sure you have birth control if necessary.

Need to find a doctor? The Pelvic Awareness Project connects women to trusted providers who specialize in pelvic health. Find a pelvic health doctor near you with our Physician Finder Tool.

Experiment With Your Partner

Talk to your partner about new ways to enjoy intimacy. Orgasm after menopause might take longer, it might require more direct and intense stimulation of the clitoris, and you might benefit from new positions or new ways of stimulation.3 As mentioned, lubrication might make intercourse more enjoyable for you too.

Strengthen Your Pelvic Floor

The pelvic floor muscles are an important structure that holds your pelvic organs in place, but they also play a role in your sexual experience. In fact, a strong pelvic floor can enhance your sexual experiences, leading to more intense and satisfying orgasms, and researchers also believe orgasms can help strengthen the pelvic floor.6 

Are you wondering if your pelvic floor is healthy? Find out by taking a few minutes to complete the Pelvic Awareness Project’s pelvic floor health quiz.

In the meantime, incorporate Kegels or pelvic floor muscles into your daily routine. Having a strong pelvic floor can also help improve bladder and bowel function, and weak pelvic floor muscles can lead to a number of pelvic disorders, such as stress urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse.

Here are the steps to perform Kegels:

1. Contract the muscles you use to hold in pee or to stop gas from passing.

3. Hold the contraction for three seconds, followed by relaxing for three seconds. 

5. Do 10 repetitions, working up to 15 repetitions per set.

7. Build up to three sets a day, once sitting, once standing, and once lying down.

Can You Orgasm After Menopause 

The experience of sex may change for many women after menopause, but that doesn’t mean you can’t experience enjoyment and even orgasm. It might take some help, such as with lubrication, or some experimentation with your partner, but sex can be a part of your intimacy with your partner even after menopause, and  you can have an orgasm after menopause.

References

1- https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21841-menopause

2- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10301848/

3- https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/how-sex-changes-after-menopause

4- https://www.nhsinform.scot/healthy-living/womens-health/later-years-around-50-years-and-over/menopause-and-post-menopause-health/sexual-wellbeing-intimacy-and-menopause/

5- https://www.health.harvard.edu/womens-health/yes-you-can-have-better-sex-in-midlife-and-in-the-years-beyond#:~:text=Working%20with%20your%20partner,much%20satisfaction%20as%20you%20need.

6- https://nafc.org/bhealth-blog/do-orgasms-strengthen-the-pelvic-floor/