Hi Loo53,
yes, HSDD the loss of sexual desire which is common in menopause as testosterone reduces. Most doctors ( including Louise Newson in the early days!) did not know that women produce significant amounts of testosterone. We loose significant amounts at menopause and all we are doing is replacing them.
I suspect that if this were a man's issue that methods of testing and tailoring each and replacing each "loss" would have been sorted by now. It makes sense that not so long ago women gave up work at 50 and the stereo type fridgid old housewife etc. No one talked about it years ago, we put up and shut up and women were often placed in mental asylums due to menopause related symptoms.
We are not biologically designed to last much past 50 / menopause . We are all living longer , men and women and able to do so due to medical intervention and disease control. Very few women had access to hormones and those that did kept it quite. We have the technology to do DNA type testing to look at what everyone requires ( and it will be different for each woman) , but no company has invested in it and pushed it through.
Funny how Viagra was pushed for men.
The most important thing is we all build each other up and support each other in this difficult journey . And I hope that the medical profession instead of intervening at crisis point , invests in preventative measures for women and menopause such as early vaginal estrogen , before we get to VA for example and DNA tailored HRT . Nick Panay seems to thinks it will happen eventually. And boy would it save a lot of money for the NHS in the long run.
Even if some women appear to "escape " or sale through menopause- there is a risk of bone health and heart health as you say. And dementia has gone up in women since use of HRT has gone down - coincidence ? Our brains physically change after menopause. Hormones do not cure everything but can make a significant contribution for some in improving quality of life.
PMXX
PMXX