Can You Expect HSDD after the Menopause?

A lot of women suffer from HSDD after the menopause, that is, hypoactive sexual desire disorder.

Women change after the menopause

If we really simplify matters, we can say the following. We develop and change our whole life. We feel it most when our body starts producing sex hormones and when it stops producing them. Puberty and menopause. Physical changes have a strong influence on all aspects of our life, particularly sex life. The menopause is the natural and necessary evil for women and their life changes greatly after the menopause, having different advantages and disadvantages than before the menopause.

The logic of businessmen and “doctors” across the Atlantic is very lucid. It goes like this. Women lose their sexual drive after the menopause. Their quality of life – in terms of health – is worse than the quality of life of women who still have strong sexual desire. Hypoactive sexual desire disorder causes similar problems as does diabetes, osteoporosis or asthma. HSDD is described as the “persistent lack of sexual desire” causing "marked stress and relationship problems” and is already considered a mental illness in some countries. If I exaggerate; when your ovaries stop working or you lose interest in sex, you are in fact nuts and you need help. Expensive, professional help.

What was the study about and how was it conducted?

The study was sponsored by Procter & Gamble and conducted by Dr. Andrea K. Biddle of the University of North Carolina. Biddle and her team looked at data for 1189 women who had gone through surgical menopause (removal of their ovaries) or natural menopause and tested the effect of HSDD on women’s health and general wellbeing. Women aged between 30 and 70 were in a relationship for at least 3 months. Among women who underwent natural menopause, 6.6% suited the diagnosis HSDD, while 12.5% of women who has surgical menopause suited the diagnosis. These women were less satisfied with their life and their relationship with their partner, and were often depressed. They were twice more likely to have back pain, fatigue and memory problems. They scored lower on several measures of quality of life including mental health, vitality, social function and bodily pain. Therefore, the researchers conclude that their findings suggest that: “HSDD represents a significant and clinically relevant problem.”

Chicken and egg

If we look at the problem from a different angle, we can say that women who suffer from back pain, fatigue, memory loss and depression after the menopause have decreased sexual desire. This sentence is just as relevant and is based on the same data. If you use your common sense, it also sounds more logical. The question what needs to be treated now is left to the interest of pharmaceutical companies. Patches that release substitute hormones into the body are the only reasonable solution for many women, especially if they had their ovaries removed at the age of 25.  For a woman in her late 60s, taking hormones is a rather weird decision if her body just got used to the idea that they’re gone. If a woman lacks sexual desire and this makes her feel depressed, she doesn’t need to treat her body, but her mind. Why does she even want to have sexual relations, what are the circumstances, what kind of partner she has, what are the solutions for the sex life of older couples and so on. But why should we help people and listen to them if we can sell them something expensive.

Read more about menopause in the Encyclopedia of Sexuality.