Association between menopausal symptoms, sexual function, and sexual activity
– a cross-sectional study

Danielly Yani Fausto; Julia Beatriz Bocchi Martins; Juliana da Silveira; Fernando Luiz Cardoso; Adriana Coutinho de Azevedo Guimarães

doi:10.5114/pm.2023.133570

eISSN: 2299-0038
ISSN: 1643-8876

Menopause Review/Przegląd Menopauzalny

Current issue Archive Manuscripts accepted About the journal Special Issues Editorial board Abstracting and indexing Subscription Contact Instructions for authors Publication charge Ethical standards and procedures

Editorial System

Submit your Manuscript

Editorial Policies

Sarajevo Declaration on Integrity and Visibility of Scholarly Publications

Open access

4/2023
vol. 22

Send email

Copy url:

abstract:

Original paper

Association between menopausal symptoms, sexual function, and sexual activity – a cross-sectional study

Danielly Yani Fausto

¹

,

Julia Beatriz Bocchi Martins

¹

,

Juliana da Silveira

¹

,

Fernando Luiz Cardoso

¹

,

Adriana Coutinho de Azevedo Guimarães

¹

Santa Catarina State University, Florianópolis, Brazil

Menopause Rev 2023; 22(4): 220-226

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5114/pm.2023.133570

Online publish date: 2023/12/11

View full text Get citation

PlumX metrics:

Introduction
To analyse the possible association between menopausal symptoms (somatic-vegetative, psychological, and urogenital) and sexual function with the maintenance of the sexual activity of women in menopause.

Material and methods
This cross-sectional study comprised 96 menopausal women aged 40–59 (52.88 ±4.05) years, who presented a positive score to the menopause rating scale (MRS) and had serum levels of follicle stimulating hormone ≥ 25 IU/ml. Participants who used hormone replacement therapy were excluded.

Results
It was observed that participants who had an active sexual life had lower medians in the somatic-vegetative (p < 0.001) and psychological symptoms (p = 0.006), as well as in the general score (p = 0.001) at the MRS; in addition, they had better sexual function in 4 domains (p < 0.005): excitement, lubrication, orgasm, and pain, as well as in the total score of the female sexual function index questionnaire (p < 0.005). It was also found that, regardless of the type of menopause (surgical or natural), women who did not engage in sexual activity had a score of 5.651 points more in the MRS (p = 0.004), demonstrating that the practice of sexual activity predicts in 10.4% the variation in the symptom score.

Conclusions
Menopausal women who maintain sexual activity had a lower score on the menopause symptom score and better sexual function compared to those who did not perform sexual activity.

keywords:

Association between menopausal symptoms, sexual function, and sexual activity – a cross-sectional study

Danielly Yani Fausto 1 , Julia Beatriz Bocchi Martins 1 , Juliana da Silveira 1 , Fernando Luiz Cardoso 1 , Adriana Coutinho de Azevedo Guimarães 1

cross-sectional study, menopause, sexual behaviour, sexual function, women

Danielly Yani Fausto

¹

,

Julia Beatriz Bocchi Martins

¹

,

Juliana da Silveira

¹

,

Fernando Luiz Cardoso

¹

,

Adriana Coutinho de Azevedo Guimarães

¹