Intimacy after 40: Real talk on sex and menopause

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Sex and menopause is one of those subjects a lot of us quietly google at midnight but rarely say out loud.

Lynda Lovatt a menopause specialist nurse and personal trainer, is joined by Karen Dougdale from Transforming Midlife, a mindset coach and clinical hypnotherapist, and Françoise Krings from Vivéa skincare whose New Zealand made intimate range was developed by women for women. Together they unpack the physical, emotional and relational changes that come with perimenopause, menopause and beyond.

Over the hour they cover a lot of ground. On the physical side, they talk through vaginal dryness, changes to the skin and pelvic floor, painful sex and why it is never something to just put up with, recurring UTIs, and the everyday questions women are often too embarrassed to ask their GP. On the emotional side, Karen reframes midlife not as a crisis or a breakdown but as a passage and explores how safety, confidence and curiosity help desire return.

You will also hear plenty of practical, reassuring advice: how to train your pelvic floor, why a proactive moisture routine matters, how to talk to a partner when you are not in the mood and how to start feeling like yourself again.

The big takeaway from all three guests is a hopeful one.

Menopause is not the end of your story. With the right information and support, this can be one of the most confident, connected chapters yet.

Listen to more episodes of the Lynda Lovatt Lady Talk podcast.