Gillian Anderson wants menopausal women to rethink pleasure

Herald Sun

10-07-2025

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Gillian Anderson is on a mission to help women feel free to chase their desires, even if that journey starts at 60.
The face of our favourite fictional sex therapist and real-life advocate, Gillian Anderson is keeping the conversation around women's pleasure going.
After combing through story after story from women describing their ultimate sexual fantasies, the author of Want intends to keep helping women explore desire, no matter their age.
Pleasure doesn't stop at menopause
'Sadly, I think many women worry that at a certain age they won't be desirable anymore, or that they won't feel desire as it will disappear with menopause or post-menopause', she told Stylist.
'But, what I'm hearing is that perimenopause and menopause are almost like a new frontier, where women feel more curious and bolder than they perhaps were previously.'
The 56-year-old has previously spoken about her own experience with early menopause, saying, it 'felt like somebody else had taken over (her) brain'.
But according to some of the entries in Want, the tide may be turning. Image: Getty
Speaking to Hello about the taboo of sex and menopause, she said, 'I'm constantly struck by how many women of my age and younger know very little about menopause. It's just such a peculiar thing that in this day and age there isn't more out there that is accessible to women from a very young age.'
But according to some of the entries in Want, the tide may be turning.
'I've heard from women in their late 50s and 60s who are on dating apps and are getting interest from much younger men, and I think that's f*cking fascinating', Anderson said in her recent interview.
'Women are starting to realise that life does not end at 50 or at menopause and that there is a whole new world of pleasure out there that they can embrace and lean into', the actress added. Image: Getty
A study from London Metropolitan University, funded by Womanizer's Pleasure Fund, found that peri or post-menopausal women in relationships with younger men reported fewer menopause symptoms, while others found that orgasms could also lead to a reduction in the severity of their symptoms. So this could be a self-care practice, really.
'Women are starting to realise that life does not end at 50 or at menopause and that there is a whole new world of pleasure out there that they can embrace and lean into', the actress added.
She wants women to 'embrace desire'
Despite very much being public knowledge by now, the orgasm gap doesn't seem to be shrinking.
She acknowledged that the cultural shift in representation of women's desire, particularly in popular books and shows, may be helping many think deeply about what they really want, perhaps for the first time.
A 2024 study found that 70 to 85 per cent of men reported higher orgasm rates during sex, no matter their sexuality, compared to 46 to 58 per cent for women.
Anderson, whose next book has already been confirmed, said she wants women reading her work to 'to feel like they finally have that permission to explore and to embrace desire, rather than run away from it'.
How pop culture is helping women think about what they want
She acknowledged that the cultural shift in representation of women's desire, particularly in popular books and shows, may be helping many think deeply about what they really want, perhaps for the first time.
'When we see these discussions in a public or cultural space, it gives us permission to step into that space and ask difficult questions'. Image: @gilliana on Instagram
'When we see these discussions in a public or cultural space, it gives us permission to step into that space and ask difficult questions', she said.
'All of a sudden, as women, we realise that there are concerns, issues, taboos and rules that might historically be different for us compared to men, and we want to do something about changing the narrative.'
Originally published as Gillian Anderson wants menopausal women to rethink pleasure