This is very personal, so I'd rather not give my name. I'm female, 55 years old - went through menopause about 4 years ago. I have not dated much, but a friendship became intimate a week or so ago. It was a disaster - very painful. I guess I should have known my body had changed, but I was unprepared for how unpleasant and difficult the experience was. He sensed my discomfort and it was very awkward. I don't know if that put him off completely, but I've been researching things I can do to avert a situation like this in the future,if an opportunity happens again. I have an appointment for a checkup in six months - but my doctor already told me he doesn't think any kind of hormones would be a good idea due to my family history. I've been trying to read up on solutions for menopausal dryness on the internet, since I think this was the cause of the problem. Several "long lasting" moisturizers are mentioned, and of course there are lubricants such as KY, and I guess I'll try some of these products. I know that there IS sex after menopause, but is it ever like it used to be???   I was hopeful that there would be some intimacy in my life after more than seven years of celibacy, but this has really upset me and I don't know if I want to try again. This experience was embarrassing and really wrecked my confidence.