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meet the chick changing the myths around menopause
shirley weir: "it's been embedded in women’s psyche that their health comes last."
shirley weir: social media is key to sexually empowering women
#debunkingdesire is a campaign by ubc's sexual health lab to debunk myths about sexual desire, share quality resources and help women understand they are not alone.
shirley weir is the founder of b.c. advocacy group menopause chicks
reduced interest in sex or fewer sexual thoughts are two examples of low sexual desire — a term used to describe something one in three women experience at some point in their life. the culprit? often it’s stress.
that’s according to a new initiative from the university of british columbia (ubc) sexual health lab, where a team of researchers is turning to social media to raise awareness around the topic of sexual desire. the objective is to debunk myths, share quality resources and help women understand they are not alone.
the campaign is called #debunkingdesire, led by dr. lori brotto, ubc professor and clinical psychologist, who is also the author of better sex through mindfulness.
“sexual desire is different for everyone,” says brotto. “it’s not an on-off switch like some people may think. it’s more of a sliding scale; something that can come and go, similar to happiness or sadness.”
the campaign’s website, debunkingdesire.com, shows that low or absent sexual desire is the most common sexual complaint from women of all ages. sexual desire can be impacted by relationship challenges, fatigue, mood, but the one of the biggest influencers on sexual desire is stress.
“we know life’s stressors can impact a woman’s sexual desire,” says brotto. “women tell us they often have trouble turning off the many to-do lists in their heads.”
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and if women believe they can multi-task sexual thoughts with making grocery lists, they are wrong, according to brotto. she wants women to know that low sexual desire does not mean something is wrong, or that you are broken. however, she does want women to understand how mindfulness can play a key role in reducing the stress that contributes to low desire.
research from the ubc sexual lab over the last 15 years has found mindfulness practices to be one of the most effective ways for women to manage their overall stress, and positively improve sexual desire and arousal.
women of all ages can experience fluctuating sexual desire, and lower desire is commonly associated with perimenopause and menopause. yet, most women with sexual concerns will never speak to a healthcare provider due to embarrassment. instead, they rely on online sources of information for help. social media can play an important role in sharing quality health information and empowering women to have more informed conversations with their doctors, partners and each other.
resources from the #debunkingdesire campaign, including videos and a downloadable toolkit can be found at debunkingdesire.com as well as on facebook, instagram and twitter.
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shirley weir is the founder of menopause chicks, an online community that advocates for women in perimenopause, menopause & beyond! she is also the author of mokita: how to navigate perimenopause with confidence & ease. she can be reached at @menopausechicks shirley@menopausechicks.com or menopausechicks.com
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