More Sex: Another One Bites the Dust

Posted by Liz on Aug 5, 2008 in estrogen | 0 comments

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMenB9Ywh2Q]

Guess that I have sex on the brain these days.

Another theoretical benefit of HRT bites the dust.  Researchers at McGill University’s Laboratory for the Biopsychosocial Study of Sexuality have found that HRT is ineffective for alleviating painful sexual intercourse in a majority of postmenopausal women.

Approximately one in three postmenopausal women suffer from dyspareunia, or pain during intercourse. This has historically been attributed to declining estrogen levels and changes in the genital tract that lead to thinning skin.  HRT has long been used to treat this problem.

The McGill research team, led by Alina Kao, say that their findings suggest that numerous conditions that may be causing pain, such as infections or problems with pelvic floor muscles, are apparently being overlooked by most clinicians. Consequently, they suggest that treatment should be individualized.

The study is slated for publication in the journal Pain Research and Management. In the interim, you can learn more about the lab’s work here.