#23 Is it business time yet?

This week we look at Estrogen

Feb 10, 2024

Good vibes for your mailbox!

Hello, Girls,

Put your glasses on and prepare for a good read to learn about female sex hormones and how Mother Nature has decided to make many mid-life women not in the mood for a little sexy time...

We had many ladies from the Uniting Canterbury Women joining HitPause. Welcome, ladies!

Until next week, Donz and Delph

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Get back into business 😴 by Donz

Back in October we published Freya’s story who wanted to “close down shop down there”. Freya told her how Testosterone helped us get her libido back.

This week we take a look at Estrone E1 and how it can affect your sexy time…

As we hit mid-life, we spend more time looking at cat videos and less time thinking of ways we can add some spicy sauce to our marriages and intimate relationships. While men of a similar age are still riding their wave of testosterone, us women are left barren, sitting on a dry beach wondering, "What the heck happened to my sex life?" I always liken sex to any activity that involves technical gear. The hard part is putting on the thermals, jacket, pants, gloves, neck warmer, helmet, goggles, and boots. The easy and fun part is hurtling full speed down the slopes of groomed or powder perfection. It’s the same with sex. The hard part is shutting down the Kindle, closing Instagram on that hilarious cat video, kicking the dog off the end of the bed, and getting close enough to your partner to engage in what I vaguely recall as foreplay. I find the easy part is the actual sex, with the right amount of lube and lights off, of course. There are zero reasons why we shouldn't just jump right in, as once you get going, it's a fun ride. So, what's going on at a hormonal level that is making us pretend to be asleep to avoid sex? Does it have something to do with our estrogen levels?

Looks like our female sex hormones fell off a cliff!

Deep dive

I didn't have time to unpick all of the information on Doctor Google however there does seem to be a distinctive correlation between low libido and low levels of our female sex hormone - Estradiol (E2) once we hit 50 years of age.

Here's the kicker. At our age, Estrone (E1) is the primary form of estrogen that your body makes after menopause. Estradiol (E2) is the primary form of estrogen in your body during your reproductive years hence why in our diagram Estradiol jumped off a cliff at 50 years of age.

My take on the severe decline in Estradiol is this; Mother Nature simply DID NOT want women having kids into their 50s so she turns off the sex hormone fire hose of E2 and replaces it with a slightly dripping tap of the minor sex hormone, E1.

This is NOT great news for us and our partners, we simply are not predisposed to be nymphomaniacs once you hit 50, look at the diagram FFS. Read it and weep.

Let's take a look under the hood.

Estrone (E1):
- Source: Mainly produced in the ovaries, but also in smaller amounts by other tissues, especially fat tissues. After menopause, it becomes the main form of estrogen in the body.
- Role: It's considered a weaker form of estrogen and is a minor female sex hormone. Its levels vary over the menstrual cycle and are highest during the follicular phase (the first half of the cycle).
Estradiol (E2):
- Source: Primarily produced in the ovaries in women and in smaller amounts by the testes in men. It's also produced by fat cells and the brain.
- Role: This is the most common and potent form of estrogen in women of childbearing age. It's responsible for the development of female secondary sexual characteristics and reproduction, including the menstrual cycle and pregnancy. It also has various other roles, such as maintaining bone density, skin health, and mood.

But wait there is a third…

Estriol (E3):
- Source: Mainly produced in significant amounts during pregnancy. The placenta produces it using precursors supplied by the foetal liver and adrenal glands.
- Role: It's the least potent estrogen and its levels rise significantly only during pregnancy. It helps to prepare the uterus for delivery and also plays a role in the development of the foetus.

In summary, each type of estrogen has its own source and role in the body. Estrone (E1) is a weaker hormone and becomes more dominant after menopause, estradiol (E2) is the most potent and prevalent form of estrogen in childbearing-aged women, and estriol (E3) is primarily associated with pregnancy.

As you can see hormonal change has a HUGE impact on our sexual function. It can lower desire and make it harder for you to become aroused. Apparently, it can also make the vaginal canal less stretchy, and you may experience dryness, which can cause intercourse to be painful. More than a third of women in perimenopause or who are postmenopausal report having a lack of interest in sex or trouble having an orgasm.

So now you know it's your effing hormones (again) messing with your sex life.

Top 10 tips and tricks to getting back on the horse after a long dry spell.

Consider Hormone replacement therapy - Ask your Doctor if it's suitable for you.
Lube - I can't stress the power of good grease
Dim lighting - Enough said
Reduce your stress, reduce your cortisol and try to relax
Book it in. Date night - You have to be in to win
Go to bed at the same time as your partner
No idea, we could only find 7 tips
So therefore there are no 8 either
Or 9
We are sorry, good luck when business time comes around!

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The Non-Review

Occasionally, when the mood strikes, we write about products we haven't tried because we’re too cheap to buy them.

Using your smartphone excessively can have negative impacts on your physical and mental well-being, as well as your relationships and productivity.

Last year we did a review of the boring phone. It looks amazing but has been out of stock for ages. We found a cheaper alternative with The Minimalist phone.
This time it’s an app that transforms your phone into something functional but much less addictive than its natural state. It aims to promote mindful phone usage by offering a simple and modern interface that reduces toxic usage habits and prolongs battery life.

Sadly, it is only available for Androids. If you try it, let us know what you think!

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