If you’ve noticed changes in your libido during perimenopause or menopause, you’re not alone — and you’re definitely not broken.
As estrogen levels decline, blood flow to the genitals can decrease, and vaginal tissues may become thinner and drier. But here’s the empowering part: sexual health is like any other system in your body — it thrives with use and attention.
Prioritizing solo sex — yes, masturbation — helps maintain blood circulation to the vagina and vulva, keeping tissues healthy, elastic, and well-oxygenated.
A 2022 study in The Journal of Sexual Medicine found that regular sexual activity, including self-stimulation, can help preserve vaginal function and comfort during menopause.
Beyond the physical, self-pleasure builds sexual intelligence — the awareness of what feels good in your body. That insight strengthens confidence, connection, and communication (whether solo or partnered).
Think of it as a feedback loop: better body awareness → more arousal → better pleasure → stronger connection to your body.
Menopause affects not just hormones, but also your nervous system. When stress hormones like cortisol rise, arousal becomes harder to access.
Here’s where the vagus nerve comes in — the body’s key pathway between the brain, gut, and genitals. Deep breathing, meditation, or even mindful touch activates the vagus nerve, helping you move out of “fight or flight” and into “rest and arouse.”
Studies in Frontiers in Psychology (2020) show that vagal tone (how well your vagus nerve functions) correlates with emotional regulation and sexual satisfaction. Translation: calm body = ready body.
Try this:
Take 3 deep, slow breaths before intimacy.
Exhale longer than you inhale — it signals safety to your nervous system.
Notice the shift.
Orgasms aren’t just fun — they’re functional.
Each orgasm increases pelvic blood flow, releases endorphins, and boosts oxytocin (the connection hormone). This cocktail improves vaginal lubrication, mood, and even sleep.
Research from Menopause Journal (2018) shows that women who remain sexually active report fewer vaginal symptoms and greater well-being through menopause.
You don’t need a partner to benefit — your body just needs the reminder that pleasure is part of health.
Yoga has been shown to enhance arousal and sexual function by improving blood flow, pelvic muscle tone, and body awareness.
A 2019 clinical trial published in the Journal of Mid-life Health found that 12 weeks of yoga significantly improved lubrication, desire, and orgasm scores in perimenopausal women.
Yoga combines gentle movement, breath, and mindfulness — the same foundations that support responsive desire and relaxation.
Try hip-opening poses like:
Bridge Pose
Bound Angle Pose
Cat-Cow Flow
Happy Baby
We set goals for fitness, nutrition, and work — why not for intimacy?
Pleasure takes intention. Schedule time for yourself (solo or partnered) without pressure for performance.
Start small:
💋 5 minutes of mindful touch
💋 Try a new sensation or fantasy
💋 End with gratitude — for your body, your pleasure, your power
Because maintaining your sexual health is not a “nice to have” — it’s a must for your physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing.
Menopause doesn’t mark the end of your sex life — it’s an invitation to redefine it.
Your body is capable of deep, connected, joyful pleasure — and the more you invest in knowing it, the more vibrant it becomes.
Your assignment: Get curious. Breathe. Touch. Feel.
It’s not indulgent — it’s intelligent.