The conventional wisdom is that starting after 40, as women become menopausal, their libidos wither, vaginal dryness makes intercourse uncomfortable, and partner issues (widowhood and male erectile dysfunction) further erode interest in sex and its availability.

But the conventional wisdom is based on small studies that have not followed women through the often-decade-long menopausal transition.

Australian researchers have rectified this problem. They tracked a large number of menopausal women for 11 years. What they found supports the conventional wisdom up to a point—but then departs from it. For many women, after the first few years of menopausal changes, sexual interest and responsiveness rebound.

In this article:

• The Largest Study Ever
• The Sexual Stages of Menopause
• The Changing Emotional Lives of Menopausal Women
• In Late Menopause, Sexual Responsiveness May Increase

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