Angela Lyons still very much loved her husband of 44 years – but there was one thing missing in their relationship: a sex life.

When her husband finally turned to her after years of this and lamented: ‘I want my wife back,’ Angela knew the time had come to seek help.

‘That was the moment I knew I couldn’t avoid the problem any longer,’ recalls Angela, 66, a retired administrator and mother of two.

Angela suffers from dyspareunia – pain during sex. She had the condition for six years from the age of 57, before finally plucking up the courage to seek help.

It’s a surprisingly common problem. One study published in the journal Menopause in 2008, based on the results of an anonymous questionnaire, reported that 40 per cent of women suffer from it.

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