The Roundup: July news and tidbits
[Credit: Special Thanks to artist Darryl Willison of Whimsicalwest.com Please visit his site and support his work.]
A lot of interesting going-on’s during the month of July make for a wonderful roundup. Peruse and enjoy!
- Weathering your hot flashes – Where you live may influence how much you flash; here’s why.
- Acupuncture and hot flashes: a winning combination -Finally, researchers have figured out how to apply Western scientific methodology without diluting the core of Eastern philosophy. The result is a win-win for women with hot flashes!
- Sexuality during menopause: blurring the lines -When we think about sexuality during midlife, are we excluding the role that our emotional experiences, culture and how we relate to one another play?
- Men. Oh. Pause. Rewind. – Guest blogger, author, screenwriter and editor Amy Ferris shares an excerpt of her new book: ‘Marrying George Clooney: Confessions from a Midlife Crisis’ and provides a glimpse into her midlife rollercoaster.
- Menopausal Magnestism – Can’t have the heat of summer without some humor. This new product will ignite and delight you!
- Close to the bone – Can certain types of isoflavones prevent bone loss as well as hormones or bisphosphonates?
- Three’s a charm…breast cancer, lung cancer deaths and ovarian cancer – HRT is linked to increases in ovarian cancer. When does the madness stop?
- What did I forget/hear/see/say… – Researchers say to think twice before gaining weight during menopause. You may lose more than your figure!
- Early menopause and lung cancer – Have you had a hysterectomy? You may be at risk for lung cancer – read more.
- Menopausal pregnancy? – Dr. Frankenstein would’ve had a field day: a provocative tale of midlife pregnancies and ovarian transplants.
- Just the facts, Jack – Is the Hot Flash Relief Program doing a mind meld on you? Here’s a few tips on how to discern comparative data.
Wednesday bubble: sexuality during menopause – blurring the lines
This week’s Bubble comes to us care of the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil and a fascinating study in the journal Latino American Nursing Reviews. The report attempts to address the limitations imposed by solely examining physical aspects of sexuality during the menopause as opposed to the intimate and relational dimensions. In others words, signs and symptoms of the climacteric (the period marking the transition from reproductive to non-reproductive status) that specifically relate to sexuality, such as vaginal dryness and painful intercourse, are less important than the sum of their parts.
In this study, which involved interviews with postmenopausal women between the ages of 48 and 55, the researchers confirm that sexuality involves more than biology and rather, encompasses a woman’s subjective experience with her partner, her world, her perceptions of her body, how she experiences pleasure and displeasure and her values and behavior. In fact, sexuality does not “end with hormonal deficiency” bur rather changes over time.
They ask: are we overvaluing the biological aspects of sexuality at the expense of the emotional expression of experience, cultural factors and how we relate to others?
Key findings:
- It is critical to be present, open up to another being, allow oneself to be “permeated by co-existence” with our partners/lovers
- We need to connect with our bodies, remove barriers to experiencing physical pleasure — both alone and in relation to another being
- We need to be aware that we are affected by our sexual partners and their limitations, physical conditions, virility, etc
- We must embrace the ‘feedback of pleasure,’ i.e. be willing and able to not only give pleasure but to receive it as well
- Sexual satisfaction does not end (or begin) with orgasm
I have written previously on sex and sexual desire, often presenting the argument that the sum is greater than its parts, that it is time to understand and embrace the totality of the experience.
I admire these researchers for reaching outside the box and broadening the discussion about sexuality during menopause and midlife. Personally, I believe that within this new paradigm, we may finally be able to blur the lines between the biological, cultural, emotional and sociological to fully embrace that notion that menopause, and its accompanying issues, are not a “disease” to be reckoned with but rather, part of our “natural evolution” as women.
What do you think?
Read MoreA flash….
and I’m gone! As my friend Sissy says, “let freedom ring.”
Have a safe and happy Fourth!
Read MoreThe Roundup: June’s News and Tidbits
[Credit: Special Thanks to artist Darryl Willison of Whimsicalwest.com Please visit his site and support his work.]
I’ve decided to start a new monthly feature — The Roundup.
Developed for my dear readers who only visit this blog periodically, The Roundup will provide an ‘at-a-glance’ overview of the month’s posts. The goal? To help you save time and access the posts you care most about.
I’ll be curious to hear your thoughts about this new feature so please, share your comments.
Hence, without further ado, here are June’s highlights:
- More news on the HRT front: lung cancer – Preempro shown to increase the risk for death among women who develop lung cancer.
- Something for da guyz – Writer Dana Jennings shares his personal experience with hot flashes. Yes, “his!”
- Gal pals – your second self – Emotional closeness boosts progesterone levels. Can friendships help in ways we’ve never imagined?
- She’s so hot and it’s so cold – A new book lays the groundwork for how western medicine has turned menopause into a disease, and what we can do about it.
- Age ain’t nothing but…. – Is it possible that some of the symptoms we associate with menopause are actually associated with aging?
- Feeling irritable? – Researchers finally pinpoint the exact hormones responsible for irritability towards others during menopause.
- Early menopause, part I – Ever wonder about the distinction between early and regular menopause? Here’s a brief primer.
- A panacea for aging skin? An anticancer creams fights wrinkles. But should you try it?
- Hot, hot hot! – Did you start and then stop HRT? Your hot flashes are likely to return.
- Are you rubberstamping the cougar narrative? Meet Lina, a hot Brazilian 73-year-old who is defying boundaries in more ways than one.
- Flava flavonoid – Good news for all you berry lovers. Tastes good and good for you…in ways that you could never imagine!
- Something to chew on – menopause gum – A one-stop shop for gum chewers? Or another scam?
Something to chew on: menopause gum
Hey ladies! Now you can just chew the menopause [blues/anxiety/hot flashes, mood swings, night sweats, heart palpitations, urinary problems AND vaginal dryness] away! Wow – who knew it was so simple? In fact, Zoft Menopause Gum will cure what ails you in just weeks if not days, with the added benefit of fighting dental decay.
So what’s in this miracle gum you ask?
“Zoft Menopause Gum is a space age blend of Dong Quai Root, Black Cohosh Root Extract, Damiana Leaf, and Mexican Wild Yam Root. Until now, no culture has had all these ingredients in a single formula.”
This space-age product has evidently been featured on ‘The View’ not once, but twice, which of course, provides an authoritative testimonial as to its efficacy.
Wait! There’s more….the company also offers breast gum to enlarge your breasts WITHOUT surgery, and hoodia gum to help you get back into that size 4 pair of jeans. And just in case your partner feels left out, the company also manufactures stress gum and virility gum.
Guess if you order now you might even get ‘My Lil Reminder’ as an added bonus.
Read MoreAre you rubberstamping the ‘cougar’ narrative?
I’ve been somewhat amused and a wee bit miffed at the double standards placed upon women who “prey” on younger men. While their sugar daddy counterparts get away with endless forays into the dating world without nary a word, these women are dubbed “cougars” and frowned upon. However, have you ever considered that these younger men don’t feel preyed upon at all but prefer the company of a well-rounded, intelligent, sexy woman who can titillate their minds, souls AND bodies?
Perhaps the cougar ‘narrative’ and its fallacies should be put to rest.
If you have even a wee bit of doubt about what I’m saying, I’d like to introduce you to 73-year-old Rio de Janero resident Lina Merceis. Lina is the star of a documentary short entitled “Bye Bye, Cest Fini,” and the ultimate inspiration for any woman who believes that life ends at midlife and beyond. Lina, having suffered early disappointments in marriage and love, is now dedicating herself to herself. Lina deliberately chooses the single life, claiming that men are too much work. ‘Seductress to a slew of 30 somethings, she enjoys her lovers, acknowledges her occasional loneliness, and confesses to a good friend (as they sit on the beach eying the candy) that sex and fun are her life prescriptions not options. Not surprisingly, the young men who are fortunate to become one of Lina’s lovers are happy to oblige.
My friend Twitter friend Erika over at Redheaded Fury wrote an interesting missive last week in response to a Denver Post article about ‘Cougars on the Prowl.’ Her point? That society’s caricature of the lonely older woman preying on younger men might not be entirely accurate. I think that Lina is a testament to that. More importantly, watching Lina onscreen taught me that life gets started when you decide, not when something (or someone) else does.
Take the reins ladies; there’s no time like the present to write your own narrative (and be proud of it).
Read MoreArchives
Tags
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.