Menopause and sexuality: Sexual energy is a vital life force and urges open conversations about sex.

Sexual energy is the life force that permeates all creation and is part of the joyfulness of life. I hope many will agree with the thought that a turned-on woman can energise the whole world. Let us accept that we are all born out of sex. Then why the taboo around talking about it or sharing knowledge on the subject? Sex education empowers growth by helping people positively accept life’s stages: puberty, marriage, childbearing and menopause. Each age carries its own beauty in sexual expression. As a female sexologist, I wish to highlight a few points from my clinical experience of more than two decades.

1. Unconsummated marriage:

After marriage, unconsummated marriage is common due to vaginismus. This is a clinical condition where there is involuntary contraction of vaginal muscles, preventing penetration. With proper guidance from a qualified sexologist, it can be treated.

2. Delayed pregnancy:

Today many women opt for late pregnancy, which often leads them to a gynaecologist for assisted methods. Something natural increasingly requires medical help. A balance between career planning and pregnancy timing is important. Remember this: when infertility treatment begins, the woman usually undergoes most of the medical procedures, whether the problem is female or male. Pregnancy at the right age can reduce the emotional and physical roller coaster of infertility treatments.

3. Educate children about sex:

If you are a parent, please answer your child’s questions. Do not silence their curiosity. Let Dr Google and Dr Porn not become their teachers. Proper guidance can prevent confusion and future sexual health problems.

4. Accept different orientations:

If your child identifies as LGBTQIA+, accept them. They are your own flesh and blood and just as natural as anyone else.

5. If conception is not possible:

If medical reasons prevent pregnancy, it must be acceptable to you. Do not carry guilt or self-blame. A woman’s worth is not defined by motherhood.

6. Menopause and sexuality:

Menopause does not mean the end of sex life. Many women feel freer without the fear of pregnancy. It can become a time for selfdiscovery, wisdom and acceptance of life’s changes.