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unPAUSED with Dr. Mary Claire Haver

Where Did My Orgasm Go? Menopause, SSRIs, and the Science of Pleasure with Dr. Lauren Streicher

unPAUSED with Dr. Mary Claire Haver

Mary Claire Media, LLC

Medicine, Health & Fitness, Society & Culture

4.81.2K Ratings

🗓️ 16 December 2025

⏱️ 61 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

What happens to your orgasm after menopause? It's something nearly half of women experience changes with in midlife, but so few are talking about it. In this episode of unPAUSED, Dr. Mary Claire Haver sits down with Dr. Lauren Streicher to discuss exactly what changes to orgasm, libido, and sex, why it happens, and what you need to know if you're struggling. Dr. Streicher is a professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, the host of Dr. Streicher's Inside Information Podcast, and the creator of Come Again, a 30 episode audio series on sexuality and sexual function. She's a senior researcher at the Kinsey Institute and one of the true pioneers of sexual medicine, helping to define and legitimize a specialty that for decades simply didn't exist. Dr. Haver and Dr. Streicher start with the basics: what an orgasm actually is, the anatomy of the clitoris, and why most women cannot have an orgasm from penetrative sex alone. Dr. Streicher explains vaginal orgasms, cervical orgasms, the G spot, and the historical research of Princess Marie Bonaparte, who measured the distance between the clitoris and vaginal opening in 240 women in an effort to understand why she couldn't orgasm during intercourse. They discuss what happens to orgasm and sex post menopause, including the role of blood flow, nerve health, clitoral atrophy, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and medications, especially SSRIs that can affect both libido and orgasm. Dr. Streicher walks through how genitourinary syndrome of menopause affects the clitoris, why the pelvic floor matters for orgasm, and why so many women have never even seen their own anatomy. They also talk about anorgasmia, the inability to have an orgasm, both primary and acquired, and why this is almost never discussed in medical training. Guest links: Dr. Streicher Dr. Streicher (Instagram) Dr. Streicher: Menopause: The Inside Info (Substack) Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and More (Apple Podcasts) COME AGAIN Lauren Streicher - Faculty Profile (Northwestern Medicine) Dr. Streicher (YouTube) Subscribe to COME AGAIN: Sexuality and Orgasm DrStreicher.com/comeagain Use code UNPAUSED20  for 20% off (This code expires Dec 23)  Dr. Streicher's  Podcast Dr. Streicher’s  Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife and More DrStreicher’s Substack https://drstreicher.substack.com/ Gyne Hacks! (Including how to How to Get a Hands-free Free Vulvar View) Books: “Slip Sliding Away: Turning Back the Clock on Your Vagina,” by Dr. Lauren Streicher “Hot Flash Hell-A Gynecologist's Guide to Turning Down the Heat (Dr. Streicher's Inside Information),” by Dr. Lauren Streicher “The Essential Guide to Hysterectomy: Advice from a Gynecologist on Your Choices Before, During, and After Surgery,” by Dr. Lauren Streicher “Sex Rx: Hormones, Health, and Your Best Sex Ever,” by Dr. Lauren Streicher “She Comes First: The Thinking Man's Guide to Pleasuring a Woman,” by Dr. Ian Kerner “The New Perimenopause,” by Dr. Mary Claire Haver ⁠"The New Menopause"⁠ by Dr. Mary Claire Haver For full show notes, please click here. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

Hollywood has set the tone that women should expect, expect to have a mind-blowing orgasm within 10 seconds of penis and vagina sex.

0:09.2

And this is a huge problem because women think there is something wrong with them.

0:13.7

Because that is, I think, what their partners are expecting.

0:14.8

Well, and their partners are expecting that too.

0:16.6

And because of that, there's this script that women have,

0:21.1

that you're supposed to have penis and vagina sex,

0:22.9

and you're going to have this incredible, incredible orgasm.

0:25.7

And because that doesn't happen with me, then I'm broken.

0:33.0

The views and opinions expressed on unpaused are those of the talent and guests alone and are provided for informational and entertainment purposes only.

0:46.3

No part of this podcast or any related materials are intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

0:56.8

Today I'm joined by Dr. Lauren Stryker, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine.

1:02.5

She's the host of Dr. Stryker's Inside Information podcast and the creator of Come Again, a new 30-episode

1:09.0

audio series that explores sexuality, orgasm, and the

1:12.6

science of sexual function. Dr. Stryker is also the author of several best-selling books

1:16.9

on menopause and sexual health. To say she's an icon in the field is an understatement.

1:21.9

Dr. Stryker is one of the true OGs of sexual medicine. She helped define and legitimize

1:27.1

especially that for decades simply

1:29.4

didn't exist. Her research, her patient advocacy, and her willingness to talk openly about topics

1:35.1

that most people still shy away from have changed how women and their clinicians approach

1:40.1

sexual health. I met Lauren and Austin at South by Southwest, and her candor, her humor,

1:45.8

and the sheer depth of her knowledge was striking. She has spent her career educating both

1:50.6

physicians and women about what's really happening to our bodies, and she's never been afraid

...

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