As technology becomes a more advanced and common aspect of our lives, more companies are seeking to expand our understanding of the way technology intersects with sexuality. This newfound understanding is especially important as it relates to topics like menopause, also known as “the change”, affecting four in five midlife women, as well as trans and non-binary people.
One study by Kantar and Over The Bloody Moon, the world’s largest collective of menopause, andropause, and menstrual health experts, found that 51 percent of women report that menopause symptoms have impacted their sex lives.
“Some women describe menopause as having a completely different body. During menopause, it’s common to not like certain sexual things that were enjoyed for years and to enjoy a new sensation never experienced before this time in life,” says sex and trauma therapist Courtney R. Padjen, PhD, LMFT.
While everyone has their own unique experience with menopause, Dr. Padjen describes the classic symptoms and the common physical side-effects of low estrogen and testosterone, which normally include “hot flushes, low libido, vaginal dryness, and dyspareunia (pain during sex).”
Luckily, sextech and femtech have become such booming industries that many innovative technologies are available to help alleviate menopausal symptoms and enhance people’s sex lives in the process.
Here are just a few of them.
This menopausal support app includes an award-winning artificial intelligence (AI) menopause coach that provides 24/7 support with personalized insights, health tracking, and precision recommendations so that women can find empowerment in their menopausal journey by taking control of their lives.
“Harmoni,” the app’s trusted companion and AI agent, allows people to save time and money by getting their questions answered and needs met in real-time, especially as it relates to increasing emotional well-being and getting better sleep, two components that are crucial for maintaining a good quality sex life.
There’s also more to the app than receiving personalized advice. The app also includes fun challenges, such as their “30X30” feature, which motivates people to exercise for 30 minutes per day for 30 consecutive days.
Low energy is a common symptom of menopause that negatively impacts a person’s desire to have sex, so exercising daily not only boosts energy, but it also impacts other areas of sexual functioning, like arousal and lubrication.
What started as a 2013 MIT student-led project turned into a successful crowdfunding campaign in 2017 and created the latest generation of award-winning products today.
For over a decade, Embr Labs has dedicated its company to improving people’s lives through the power of temperature, and the company’s wearable watch-shaped product, Embr Wave, delivers cooling or warming sensations to the skin in waves.
Embr Wave uses a battery-powered thermoelectric heat pump that generates cool or warm sensations by moving heat away from or towards the skin.
Once that happens, these sensations stimulate the temperature-sensitive nerves on the inside of your wrist, triggering a natural mind-body connection that helps you rebalance your perception of temperature so you can feel better faster.
Similar to how quickly we adapt to a steaming sauna or a cold swimming pool, Embr Wave’s thermoreceptors help people get more acclimated to whatever temperatures they desire in the moment. Plus, managing body temperature is crucial in the context of menopausal sex.
Hormones like estrogen, a chemical in the body that promotes vaginal lubrication and enhances sexual arousal, are prone to fluctuation during menopause. Fluctuating hormones can disrupt the body’s natural temperature regulation and lead to hot flashes and night sweats, which makes for an uncomfortable experience for engaging in intimacy.
Embr Wave’s temperature relief allows people to cool down or warm up with the simple touch of a button, so say goodbye to those mood-ruining hot flashes and night sweats!
Created by a former executive of (somewhat controversial) healthcare company Johnson & Johnson, Thermaband is a bracelet that uses artificial intelligence software to monitor temperature. When Thermaband detects hot flashes, cold flashes, and night sweats, the device delivers the opposite kind of sensation to level out body temperature.
The wristband also tracks blood pressure and heart rate, with all the data displayed on Thermaband’s Zone app, like how many times a day you experience varying discomfort, which triggers you should be mindful of in your day-to-day life, and how long your hot flashes are throughout the day.
These kinds of mindfulness techniques and practices are great for maintaining a satisfying sex life because they emphasize being present in the moment and paying attention to bodily sensations.
Mindfulness also allows you to become more aware of your sexual cues and responses. As you learn more about what feels good for you, you’re more likely to feel empowered by your newfound awareness and have an easier time communicating your needs with a partner.
Other features of the app include, but aren’t limited to: menopausal insights, a curated community of people going through similar life changes, and specific advice from healthcare professionals.
This online menopause clinic gives personalized answers to your questions about symptoms, treatment, and lifestyle changes, like disturbed sleep, mood changes, hot flushes, weight gain, joint pain, and more.
One of the online clinic’s most noteworthy features is its science-backed care plan designed to help manage symptoms from the first signs of menopause to the later stages.
Stella’s implementation of science-backed, personalized care is groundbreaking considering that many healthcare providers fail to routinely ask about sexual health as part of their assessment, placing the burden on the patient to bring up the topic.
Society often portrays older adults in a way that implies they aren’t interested in sex anymore, and unfortunately, those age-based biases negatively affect the quality of care that people with menopause receive during in-person appointments.
Luckily, gaining access to Stella’s internet clinic’s features is a smooth process that keeps your personalized needs in mind.
First, you must complete a health questionnaire asking about your health history and screen for different risk factors. Then you’ll be recommended the best care for you and have options to choose treatments, schedule appointments to meet with clinicians virtually.
This company creates virtual reality (VR) medical applications and recently came out with a new product called Luna, which is designed to help patients manage pain. This is especially helpful for those who are experiencing uncomfortable sex at the menopausal stage.
“As oestrogen levels decline, many women experience vaginal dryness, reduced elasticity, and thinning tissue, which can make penetration more painful,” explains certified sexologist Marie Morice.
The virtual reality simulations through XRHealth are intended to address chronic pain during daily activities, allowing users to discover self-operated solutions for managing their discomfort, as well as learn about menopause through educational modules for a holistic healthcare experience.
So Divine has a range of pelvic trainers, toys, and lubricants that help to encourage blood flow and lubrication for intimate areas to support and improve tissue health.
Morice says that sex toys as a way for people to rediscover desire on their own terms, free from performance pressure or outdated expectations.
“For many, especially during or after menopause, sex toys aren’t just tools of pleasure, but tools of autonomy and reconnection,” she says.
The vFit is a vibrator used for vaginal stimulation. It has a heat-warming feature that encourages blood flow, aiding in natural lubrication that decreases vaginal dryness.
The vibrator also comes with a water-based gel formulated to enhance comfort, and it’s specifically made with hyaluronic acid and aloe to help moisturize. This is crucial during sex while experiencing menopause because vaginal tissues become thinner as we age, and they’re more susceptible to irritation and micro-tears during sex.
When we’re lubricated enough, the moisture creates a smoother and more pleasurable experience overall.
The vFit device tracks progress like this through its app, monitoring your unique symptoms so that you can learn about what your body is going through.
Also, if you’re interested in purchasing vFit directly through a healthcare provider, you can enter your location on the website to find the doctor nearest you.
What separates Womanizer from other sex toy companies is that it has a patented PleasureAir Technology based on a unique type of stimulation that generates rapid and intense orgasms.
The Womanizer Premium 2 uses air pressure rather than physical vibrations. Once the vibrator is placed over the clitoris, the air pulser molds to the contour of the vulva, which mimics the real-life feeling of oral sex. At its lower intensity, it may feel like receiving gentle kisses on the clitoris. At the vibrator’s higher intensity, it may feel like a firmer sucking sensation.
This vibrator also uses “Innovative Smart Silence Technology” which lets you indulge in your desire in a more discreet way. This is crucial if you have kids in the other room and want to keep the noise level to a minimum.
The future of menopausal tech
In a lot of ways, technology has been shown to enhance the quality of our sex lives. Through biofeedback technology, artificial intelligence, online clinics, and more, we’re gaining more pleasurable experiences and more access to information on topics that are still considered taboo.
Menopausal tech has also broadened our ideal of what pleasure-based toys may look like, showing as much emphasis on holistic well-being as we do on bodily satisfaction. We’re recognizing that the physical, mental, and emotional elements our sexual experiences work together to create a magical sex life.
As we look into the future, technology will continue to expand our perspective on sexuality and our understanding of the relationships we have not only with others, but ourselves as well.
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