Date: 2019-08-05

A Consultant Gynaecologist, Dr Julius Dare, has recommended hormone replacement therapy for menopausal women to boost their sex life.

Dare, who works at the Kwara State Health Management Bureau, gave the recommendation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ilorin on Sunday.

He said Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is directed toward alleviating uncomfortable and distressing symptoms of menopause. HRT is a form of hormone therapy used to treat symptoms associated with female menopause.

"When oestrogen levels in menopausal women fall, it causes dryness and the thinning of tissues lining the vagina.This sometimes makes sexual intercourse painful for the woman, and makes her shy away from it due to pain," he said.

Menopause is the time that marks the end of women’s menstrual cycles. It is a natural biological process.A woman will be adjudged to have reached menopause if she goes 12 months without a menstrual period. Menopause could happen in a woman in her 40s or 50s, but the average age is 51 in the United States.

The consultant gynaecologist said that the process of menopause does not occur overnight, but rather "a gradual process".

According to him, the perimenopausal transition period is a different experience for each woman.

"Symptoms of menopause can include: appearance of wrinkles on the body, vaginal bleedings, hot flashes, vaginal and urinary symptoms and mood changes," he said.

The consultant gynaecologist said that the ovaries were the main source of female hormones, which control the development of female body characteristics such as the breasts, body shape and body hair.

He said the hormones also regulate the menstrual cycle and pregnancy, adding that there was reduction of oestrogens during menopause.

Here is what NHS UK says about HRT:

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is a treatment used to relieve symptoms of the menopause. It replaces hormones that are at a lower level as you approach the menopause.

The main benefit of HRT is that it can help relieve most of the menopausal symptoms, such as: hot flushes, night sweats, mood swings, vaginal dryness and reduced sex drive Many of these symptoms pass in a few years, but they can be very unpleasant and taking HRT can offer relief for many women.

It can also help prevent weakening of the bones (osteoporosis), which is more common after the menopause.

Those who cannot take HRT

Most women can have HRT if they're experiencing symptoms associated with the menopause.

But HRT may not be suitable if you:

*Have a history of breast cancer, ovarian cancer or womb cancer

*Have a history of blood clots

*Have untreated high blood pressure - your blood pressure will need to be controlled before you can start HRT

*Have liver disease

*Are pregnant - it's still possible to get pregnant while on HRT, so you should use contraception until two years after your last period if you’re under 50 or for one year after the age of 50

In these circumstances, alternatives to HRT may be recommended instead.