Vaginal dryness and dyspareunia (pain with sexual intercourse)
are the most important factors in reducing the sexual desire and
frequency in women. Menopause also results in a marked decrease
in libido, which does not always recover, especially now that few
women take hormone replacement therapy. Vaginal lubricants can
be an easy effective strategy for reducing vaginal dryness and pain
with intercourse. Other risk factors for sexual dysfunction for older
women include being unmarried, divorced or widowed; lack of a
physically capable partner; past sexual problems; and lower educational
level. As women outlive their husbands, lack of a physically