About this episode

The episode discusses the impact of hormonal changes during perimenopause on sexual health and desire, featuring insights from experts Heather Florio and Dr. Fenwa Milhouse.

Welcome to Episode 501 of the Sexology Podcast! Today I am excited to be joined by Heather Florio and Dr. Fenwa Milhouse who speak to me about sexual health, desire, and pleasure during perimenopause and menopause. In this episode, we discuss how changes in levels of oestrogen and testosterone can affect the brain, genitals, arousal and sex drive. We examine why hormones alone are rarely the cause of low libido, and how relationship dynamics, painful sex, body image, stress, shame, and the natural shift from spontaneous to responsive desire can all impact someone’s sexual experience. Heather Florio is the second-generation CEO of Desert Harvest, a women's-health company her family founded in 1993. She writes the monthly Dear Sexpert column for BELLA Magazine , sits on BELLA's Medical Advisory Board, and is a Forbes Leading Woman in Business (2022). Late-diagnosed autistic. Dr. Fenwa Milhouse—widely known as “Your Favorite Urologist”- is a board-certified urologist and fellowship-trained sub-specialist in Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery. She is the current President of the Chicago Urological Society—making history as the first Black woman to hold this position. In…

People in this episode

Host: Dr. Nazanin Moali

Guests: Heather Florio, Dr. Fenwa Milhouse

Topics covered

• sexual health
• desire
• perimenopause
• menopause
• libido
• relationship dynamics
• painful sex

Keywords

• perimenopause
• menopause
• sexual desire
• libido
• hormones
• painful sex
• relationship dynamics
• vaginal health

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Desert Harvest, BELLA Magazine, Chicago Urological Society, Forbes

More episodes of Sexology

• EP507 - Should You Have Sex When You're Not in the Mood? · September 8, 2026 · 32 min
• EP506 - Why You Don’t Want Sex: What Your Nervous System Is Trying to Tell You · August 31, 2026 · 26 min
• Can a Relationship Survive Infidelity? How to Rebuild Trust After an Affair. · August 24, 2026 · 34 min
• EP504 - Why Emotionally Unavailable People Feel So Irresistible · August 18, 2026 · 33 min
• EP503 - Why So Many People Secretly Want to Let Go of Control · August 11, 2026 · 38 min
• EP502 - Why You're Attracted to the Wrong People (And How to Change It) · August 3, 2026 · 26 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Sexology podcast page.