Firing Up Sexual Desire

Feeling the desire for sex is about much more than internal plumbing. It's a complicated blend of what's happening for you physically, emotionally and even spiritually. That's why your level of desire may differ from other women's, even those of the same age and health. In addition, the fabric of your sexual desire is likely to change throughout your life cycle.

"If we were stuck with our experiences and perceptions from our 20s, we'd be in bad shape. Fortunately, we keep growing, learning, loving and redefining what we want from our sexuality," says Joan Price, a fitness professional and author of Better Than I Ever Expected: Straight Talk about Sex after Sixty." Many women discover that each decade gets better—as long as we're open enough to keep learning, changing and communicating with our partners."

Yes, menopause reduces the levels of the hormones estrogen and progesterone in your body (testosterone has been declining since your 20s). Those changes increase vaginal dryness and may lessen that "instant-on" sexual response you may have had in younger days. There are some pluses to this as well. "We have this cultural stereotype that menopause is going to be the end of great sex," Dr. Carpenter says. "In fact, a lot of women...are saying, "Yeah, and you don't have to worry about getting pregnant anymore. This is great!"