Women adapt to sexual function changes with age

Middle-aged women may be having less sex but are enjoying it more, suggesting clinicians need to be prepared for open discussions with their patients, according to study data presented at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the North American Menopause Society in Orlando.

“One of the most enlightening findings of this study was the large number of women who had successfully adapted to any negative changes by modifying their expectations regarding sexual activity, putting more emphasis on the emotional and intimacy aspects of sex, or adapting the sex acts themselves,” Holly Thomas, MD, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh and lead author of the study, said in a press release.

Previous studies of sexual function focused primarily on physical changes, such as vaginal dryness, lower libido and decreased responsiveness, according to the researchers. In the new study, Thomas and colleagues evaluated women’s feeling about their body changes and their coping mechanisms. Through three separate focus groups and 20 interviews, they found more women attributed their decrease in libido to psychological stresses, such as family and career, and not to menopause or other biological factors. Major causes of decreased libido also included partner health problems, relationship discord and partner sexual dysfunction. Several women reported that their libidos were significantly higher than their partners’.

Women who reported positive changes said that their sexual satisfaction had increased due to higher self-confidence, increased self-knowledge and better communication skills that had improved with age. Sexual adaptations included vaginal lubricant use, lengthening foreplay, incorporating alternative methods of sex, increased masturbation and encouraging use of erectile dysfunction medication for their partner.

“As this study demonstrates, health care providers need to have honest conversations with their midlife women patients to fully evaluate changes in sexual function and be ready to explore psychosocial and interpersonal factors, as well as physical changes, to effectively identify proper treatment,” JoAnn Pinkerton, MD, executive director of the North American Menopause Society, said in the press release. – by Will Offit

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Reference: Thomas H, et al. Presented at: 2016 Annual Meeting of the North American Menopause Society; October 5-8, 2016; Orlando, Fla.