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 Researchers examined data on 518 women ages 40 to 55 to see how
often they had vaginal dryness during gynecological checkups and how
often they reported difficulty with things like lubrication, desire,
arousal, orgasm and sexual satisfaction.
While 55% of the women in their early- to mid-40s appeared to have
sexual dysfunction based on their reported symptoms, this surged to
83% of women in their mid-50s.
Vaginal dryness appeared to independently increase the risk of every
other type of sexual health problem in the study.
"Given the high prevalence of sexual dysfunction in women,
identifying an eminently treatable contributing factor such as
vaginal dryness may allow women to maintain their sexual function
during the menopause transition," Dr. Stephanie Faubion, medical
director of the North American Medical Society, said in a statement.
Women go through menopause when they stop menstruating, typically
between ages 45 and 55. As the ovaries curb production of the
hormones estrogen and progesterone in the years leading up to
menopause and afterward, women can experience symptoms ranging from
vaginal dryness to mood swings, joint pain, memory trouble and
insomnia.
As estrogen levels drop, the lining of the vagina changes and
releases less fluid. Intercourse can become painful due to this lack
of lubrication and women may also experience more bacterial
infections.
While previous studies have linked vaginal changes during menopause
to sexual dysfunction, the current study offers fresh evidence that
the process of declining sexual health may start sooner than women
realize and persist throughout the menopause transition, Dr. Angelo
Cagnacci of the University of Udine and colleagues write in the
journal Menopause.
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The average age in the study was 49, and the average body mass index
(BMI, a measure of weight relative to height) was at the low end of
the overweight category. Roughly half of women in the study had
completed menopause.
About 11% of the women were taking hormone replacement therapy, and
about 18% were using vaginally administered therapies to address
symptoms.
Women were more likely to experience sexual dysfunction when they
were ex-smokers, overweight, sedentary or experiencing hot flashes,
the study found.
They were more than twice as likely to experience sexual dysfunction
when they had vaginal dryness, pain during intercourse or thinning
and drying vaginal walls, the study also found.
The study included only white women seeing gynecologists, and it's
possible the results might be different in a more diverse group or
for women who didn't see specialists for sexual health care.
Even so, the results underscore the importance of screening for
vaginal dryness and offering treatments for this issue as one way to
help prevent or minimize the risk of sexual dysfunction before
menopause, the researchers conclude.
Hormone therapies including pills, patches and sprays applied to the
skin as well as vaginal rings and creams can all help ease sexual
health problems that develop as estrogen production wanes leading up
to menopause, according to the American College of Obstetricians and
Gynecologists.
SOURCE: https://bit.ly/2O5VrEM Menopause, online October 31, 2019.
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