You did the “right” thing. You talked to a provider, you got the prescription, and you’ve been faithfully using your vaginal estrogen for weeks. So why does sex still hurt? First, take a breath. You’re not doing it wrong, and you’re definitely not broken. Painful sex after starting vaginal estrogen is more common than anyone…
Menopause
Testosterone vs. Sildenafil-Based Treatments for Female Sexual Dysfunction
Let’s talk about something that doesn’t get nearly enough airtime: your sex life. If desire has gone quiet, arousal feels like it’s stuck in traffic, or the spark just isn’t sparking, you are not broken and you are definitely not alone. Female sexual dysfunction (FSD) is incredibly common, and the good news is that treatment…
Why Am I Exhausted Even After a Full Night’s Sleep?
You slept eight hours. Maybe nine. And yet you woke up feeling like you barely closed your eyes. If you’re a woman wondering why am I so tired even after sleeping, you’re not imagining it — and you’re not alone. For women, exhaustion is rarely just about the clock. More often, it’s a hormonal story…
Perimenopause Awareness Month: The Signs We Don’t Talk About Enough
Every year, National Perimenopause Awareness Month puts a spotlight on a stage of life that millions of women move through, often quietly, and often without answers. Perimenopause is the transition leading up to menopause, and for many women it is confusing, frustrating, and far more disruptive than anyone warned them it would be. This month…
Health Screenings Women Skip in Their 40s & 50s, and Why They Matter
Your 40s and 50s are a turning point for your health. This is the decade when the risk of several serious but highly treatable conditions starts to climb, and, ironically, it’s also when many women fall behind on the exact screenings designed to catch those conditions early. Busy schedules, feeling “fine,” and confusion about which…
The Perimenopause Decade: What’s Actually Happening to Your Body in Your 40s
You’re 43. You haven’t slept properly in six months. You cried at a paper towel commercial. Your period showed up twice in three weeks and then ghosted you for forty days. And you’re pretty sure you left your keys in the refrigerator. Your doctor says your labs look “normal.” Welcome to perimenopause, the least-discussed, most-misdiagnosed decade in…
Why More Women Are Choosing Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) at Maze Women’s Health
For many women, menopause can feel like they suddenly don’t recognize their own bodies. Hot flashes. Night sweats. Brain fog. Poor sleep. Mood changes. Low libido. Weight redistribution. Fatigue. Many women are told these symptoms are simply “part of getting older” and that they have to live with them. At Maze Women’s Health, we believe…
Painful Sex After Menopause: When Is It Time to Seek Treatment?
For many women, menopause brings hot flashes and night sweats. But one of the most common, and least talked about, symptoms is painful sex. If intimacy has become uncomfortable or even something you avoid, you’re not alone. Research shows that many women experience pain during intercourse after menopause, yet many never bring it up with…
Non-Hormonal Menopause Treatment Options: What to Do When Hormones Aren’t Right for You
Hot flashes, vaginal dryness, sleep disruption, and mood changes are some of the most common symptoms women experience during menopause and perimenopause. While hormone therapy can be highly effective, it’s not the right choice for everyone. The good news? There are several non-hormonal menopause treatment options available that can help manage symptoms and improve quality…
Is Your Sex Life Merely Chug Chug Chugging Along?
Are you sex-stuck? Yup, I just made that up. But please, feel free – make it a hashtag. You know you wanna. Here’s what I’m really asking: is your sex life yawn-inducing? Same ol’ same ol’? BOR-ING??!! Don’t worry – we’ve got you. If you’ve been in a long-term relationship, sex can be deprioritized for…
The Best Sex Toys for Menopausal Women
A lot of people talk about menopause and all the unpleasant side effects that come with it – hot flashes, mood swings, skin dryness, and sleep issues. But not enough people talk about how menopause might impact your sex life and, most importantly – what to do about it. Just because you reached a certain…
The New Menopause Movement
“Why is it so hard to find information about this?” my clients in peri/menopause ask me with earnest desperation. My usual retort? “Well, consider the fact 100 years ago, the average life expectancy for women was 60. So, the minute someone started to complain of hot flashes or night sweats, funerals were planned”. It’s not…
Does Squirting Stop After Menopause?
For women, menopause is just a part of life, but the end of your reproductive years certainly doesn’t mean the end of your sex life. Lots of things are changing during this new season of your life, but many things will stay the same. Luckily, the conversation on sex after menopause is gaining some momentum,…
Is HRT the End-All-Be-All?
Just a few short years ago, anyone with a uterus was hard-pressed to find accurate and evidence-based information on peri/menopause. And then, like pennies from heaven, it was all around us. Social media, talk shows, blogs, newspaper and magazine articles were finally giving us and our lived experiences the respect we deserved. While those of…
Get That Laptop Off Your Uterus! …Right?
Last night, as I said goodnight to my almost-grown daughters, I noticed that each of their respective laptops rested directly on their respective laps. Hystero-Mamma kicked into high gear. “Girls – why aren’t you using pillows as a barrier between your computers and your ovaries? How many times do we have to review this? Don’t…
Psycho-Emotional Symptoms of Menopause
Search for a numbered list of menopause symptoms on the web and you’ll find that there’s no one definitive inventory. One site says there are 34, another one says 66 – the cataloging varies widely. Since menopause research is relatively new and medical training for treatment is practically non-existent – and because each woman’s experience…
Your Sex Life After Menopause (Part 1!)
Make no mistake: menopause can impact your sex life. Arousal and orgasm are like a delicate dance between your mind and body. And anything that messes with your libido can also mess with your ability to get in the mood and experience that mind-blowing climax. Understanding the ChangesWhen menopause hits, it can bring along some…
Benefits of Hormone Therapy for Women
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I would marry HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) if I could. I was in my late 40s and experiencing hot flashes – nay – nuclear flashes, several times an hour, round the clock. As a result, I was absolutely miserable and irritable and I was losing hope…