118 | Unlocking Sexual Longevity: A Midlife Guide with Dr. Peter Castillo

September is Sexual Health Awareness Month, and this year's World Sexual Health Day theme is Every Body — a reminder that sexual health, pleasure, and intimacy matter at every age and in every body, including our changing midlife bodies. To kick off the month, Gabriella welcomes Dr. Peter Castillo, a double board-certified urogynecologist and founder of Swan Medical Intimate Wellness in Los Gatos, California. Dr. Castillo is one of the rare physicians who treats pelvic and sexual health not as a side conversation but as central to a woman's overall health and longevity. He is also, refreshingly, a man who has built his entire career around listening to women about the most intimate changes happening in their bodies — and doing something about it. This conversation covers everything from the early signs of hormonal decline most women miss, to testosterone's far-reaching role beyond libido, to the truth about pelvic organ prolapse, to why partners need to be included in this conversation far earlier than they are. It is a rich, science-backed, and deeply practical episode for Sexual Health Awareness Month and beyond. **Are you ready to awaken your sensuality and feel more empowered in your body? Access the FREE Pleasure Upgrade Bundle at** https://www.pleasureinthepause.com/gift**.** *Dr. Peter Castillo is a double board-certified urogynecologist and founder of Swan Medical Intimate Wellness in Los Gatos and Danville, California. He specializes in female pelvic medicine, reconstructive surgery, and sexual health, with a focus on helping women navigate the changes that come through childbirth, menopause, and aging. A bilingual international lecturer, he has trained physicians across the United States, Europe, and Latin America, and has led multicenter trials on genitourinary syndrome of menopause. His practice treats pelvic and sexual health as essential to a woman's overall health and longevity.*  Highlights from our discussion include: - Why intimacy can be a biomarker of overall health and what changes in sexual health can signal about the rest of the body - The role of testosterone beyond libido — muscle mass, mood, motivation, cognitive function, and longevity - What genitourinary syndrome of menopause is and why it affects far more women than know it has a name and a treatment - What pelvic organ prolapse actually is, how common it is, and why most women are never told it is treatable - The full range of regenerative and hormonal treatments available for arousal, sensation, and orgasmic changes in midlife - Why partners need to be part of the menopause conversation — and Dr. Castillo's No Partner Left Behind initiative - A simple sexual longevity prescription: if intimacy matters to you, do not let it go Dr. Castillo's prescription for every woman listening is simple. If intimacy has always mattered to you, do not accept that it has to go. Seek a therapist, read books, find treatments, bring your partner to the appointment, do whatever it takes. We have a long life ahead of us. And protecting sexual health is part of protecting that life.  **If you're seeking to reclaim your pleasure and vitality, join Gabriella at** ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.pleasureinthepause.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ **for this enlightening journey into the heart of female pleasure and empowerment.** CONNECT WITH DR. CASTILLO: Swan Medical: swanmed.com  Instagram LinkedIn RESOURCES MENTIONED: American Urogynecologic Society directory: augs.org ISSWSH directory: isswsh.org CONNECT WITH GABRIELLA ESPINOSA: Instagram LinkedIn Work with Gabriella!  Full episodes on YouTube. *The information shared on Pleasure in the Pause is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before making any decisions about your health or treatment. The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the host or Pleasure in the Pause.*