By Sarah Janosik, LCSW

Uncover the myths about what happens to a woman's sex life as she ages.

One myth says that when a women passes menopause, she is freed up from the worry of getting pregnant and so becomes sexually freer and more active. A totally opposite myth proposes that as women age their hormones decrease and so they become less and less interested in sex.

Which of these myths is true?

Both and neither. Neither myth applies to all women past menopause, and both myths are true for some women of the same group.

Some mature women do feel more free sexually once they are past their childbearing years, not just because the fear of pregnancy is no longer present but also, as a natural part of the maturing process, their "inner wisdom" grows stronger along with their acceptance of their own bodies.

For other women though, aging brings physical changes that can decrease sexual pleasure. For instance, a decrease in hormones often means that the vaginal wall becomes thinner and there is less lubrication, while the natural aging process leads to general weakness in the pelvic floor muscles (PFM).

All of these changes generally mean less sensation "down there" so sex naturally becomes less interesting, less fun. Unfortunately, poor PFM tone can also bring the added embarrassment of urinary incontinence during sex-a definite negative in the sexual response department.

But aging doesn't mean that all the fun has to stop. Susun Weed, author of New Menopausal Years the Wise Woman Way, agrees: "Take heart. Wise crones and old women are very, very sexy . . . when they want to be-not when someone else wants them to be. My Rx for low libido is seven orgasms a week, whether you feel like it or not. You can do one a day or all in one day. Continue for at least three months."

A new study on aging shows that men and women can be and are sexually active well into their 80s. Want to be part of that fabulous category of sexually active mature adults? Then start now, whatever your chronological age.

There are medical, surgical, and physical therapy approaches to solve many of the symptoms of aging down below. And while there isn't much published research on the effects of toning the pelvic floor muscles for sexual satisfaction, there is a lot of clinical data that supports it.

Simply putting your attention on your pelvic floor muscles increases your awareness of the sensations in that part of your body. Studies do show that exercising in general or doing pelvic-specific exercises can increase the blood flow to your genitals, which can lead to greater sexual satisfaction.

As you age, your circulation isn't as good as it used to be, which means that the blood flow to your vagina may be insufficient to fully engorge your clitoris. Since many women rely on clitoral stimulation to achieve orgasm, increased circulation can have a marked effect on their ability to climax. Pelvic floor fitness programs are perfect for increasing circulation, awareness, and sensation. There are also topical creams that can help increase circulation in the genital region.

If you want to turn back the clock on your sex life, get together with a specialist to discover what you can do with hormone therapy, physical therapy, sex therapy, exercise, and more. No matter what your age, today is the first day of your new sex life!