Many menopausal women misled over womanhood, experts say
Many menopausal women misled over womanhood, experts say
Leo Wahyudi S, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Many menopausal women have been misled by the deceptive feeling
that they failed to perform their role as women, said Asman
Boedisantoso R., a noted endocrinologist, on Saturday.
"They (the menopausal women) still have the usual sexual
drives," Asman stated, despite their physical deficiency.
By nature, all women still have the possibility of enjoying a
sex life regardless of the physiological stage they have reached,
as long as they receive a habitual sexual stimulus, Asman said in
a symposium on a happy life in one's fifties at the launching of
the male and female clinic at Siloam Gleneagles Hospital,
Tangerang.
Women live longer than men so sexually they have more
opportunity to address this illusion of inadequacy, he said.
Should sexual activity lose its satisfaction, the couple might
lack proper knowledge of how to overcome it, he said, adding that
sexual ability implied that the couple had the possibility of
achieving sexual pleasure.
However, he warned that physiological differences too often
turned the situation upside down.
A report said that men reached orgasm much quicker than women,
who tend to have their first experience of orgasm from 11 to 28
years of age.
"Should the husband manage to stimulate his wife
appropriately, she will likely reach a climax six to 12 times in
one session," Asman added.
Budijanto Chandra, an obstetric gynecologist, said that women
could experience unusual symptoms in their menopause due to the
decrease in hormones.
They endure both physical and psychological discomfort during
the phase, which is prone to give them an incorrect impression of
their love lives, he said. Headaches, being moody and feeling
vulnerable, as well as a less lubricated vagina and painful
intercourse are common complaints.
"They might be sexually uninterested due such discomfort,"
Budijanto said.
In their 50s, women customarily stop menstruating and such a
feature extends their life expectancy to more-or-less 75 years.
Thus, they spend a quarter of their lives in such a state.
However, there is no major medication available deal with the
sexual problems.
In a bid to cope with the problem, Asman suggested that they
should take regular exercise to maintain a healthy shape because
at that stage they are prone to cardiovascular problems,
osteoporosis or alzheimer's disease.
"Hormonal boosters can also be used if necessary," Budijanto
said.