Photo by Thomas Hafeneth
There’s lots of reasons why sex might be painful after you turn 50. For many women as estrogen levels decline during midlife, their vaginas become much more dry and don’t have the same elasticity or ability to stretch.
What you might notice
Do you remember your mom telling you to stand up straight and tall? Have you noticed that you might not be as tall as you were when you graduated from high school? The truth is how we care for our bones during and after midlife will impact our lives for decades to come. Avoiding significant height loss and preventing fractures help women continue to live their lives without restrictions and pain.
What normal bone looks like
Although our bones would seem to be like rocks or steel, never changing, the truth is that our bones are in a dynamic and constant state of change. Like interior decorators, who are always improving upon the appearance of a room, our bones, too, are perpetually remodeling. As older bone is replaced with newer bone, our bodies continue the constant process of bone renewal.
What about Estrogen?
Estrogen is one of the key factors in helping our bodies build strong, new bone to replace old bone that is lost. Diets rich in calcium, vitamin D, magnesium, and other nutrients are also important in helping our bones attain their maximal density in our late teens and early twenties.
Our Featured Wrtten Article Today is by Eleanor M W Forbes, MSN, RN, WHNP-BC, IBCLC,RLC.
Today I saw Maria* (not her real name), a 57 year old woman who was complaining of frequent urination and other symptoms that are associated with Urinary Tract Infections. And though her Primary Care Provider had found nothing in the frequent urine evaluations she’d had, something just didn’t feel right. Maria had a hysterectomy in her mid 40s and since then it had started to get more painful when having sex, to the point that she was losing all desire to be intimate with her husband.
We’re delighted that DJ DeProspero, a woman who’s just completed chemo and radiation for Anal Cancer, felt comfortable sharing her experience with our readers. She’s an inspiring person for so many reasons including her sense of adventure and her amazing kindness.
And Now For Her Story That She is Willing to Share
