Christiana von Hippel1, Avanti Adhia2, Shoshana Rosenberg3, S Bryn Austin4, Ann Partridge3, Rulla Tamimi5. 1. Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts. Electronic address: cvhippel@mail.harvard.edu. 2. Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts. 3. Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts. 4. Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts. 5. Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Women's sexual well-being is an important determinant of overall health and quality of life across the life course. Yet the factors associated with women's levels of sexual activity and sexual function in midlife are little understood. This study sought to assess the prevalence of recent sexual activity and sexual dysfunction symptoms among middle-aged women and evaluate the associations of partner status, menopause, and health status factors with sexual dysfunction. METHODS: Participants of this cross-sectional study were 68,131 women who responded to the 2013 Nurses' Health Study II observational cohort questionnaire when they were age 48-68 years. Sexual activity and dysfunction symptoms were assessed with the Female Sexual Function Index. Age-adjusted multivariable regression models estimated risk ratios for the association of health-related factors with past month sexual dysfunction symptoms among women who were sexually active over the past month, overall and stratified by partner status. RESULTS: Of middle-aged women participants, 73% were sexually active (n = 49,701) and 50% of sexually active women reported symptoms of sexual dysfunction. Symptoms of sexual dysfunction were less common among unpartnered than partnered women (42% vs. 51%; p < .0001). A positive association between menopause and sexual dysfunction was greater for unpartnered women (risk ratio, 2.37, 2.99; p < .001) than partnered women (risk ratio, 1.89, 2.00; p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Difficulty with sexual function is common among women in midlife, but less so than previously estimated. Regular monitoring of women's sexual function could enable clinicians to offer women timely, supportive interventions tailored by partner status and menopausal status.
BACKGROUND:Women's sexual well-being is an important determinant of overall health and quality of life across the life course. Yet the factors associated with women's levels of sexual activity and sexual function in midlife are little understood. This study sought to assess the prevalence of recent sexual activity and sexual dysfunction symptoms among middle-aged women and evaluate the associations of partner status, menopause, and health status factors with sexual dysfunction. METHODS:Participants of this cross-sectional study were 68,131 women who responded to the 2013 Nurses' Health Study II observational cohort questionnaire when they were age 48-68 years. Sexual activity and dysfunction symptoms were assessed with the Female Sexual Function Index. Age-adjusted multivariable regression models estimated risk ratios for the association of health-related factors with past month sexual dysfunction symptoms among women who were sexually active over the past month, overall and stratified by partner status. RESULTS: Of middle-aged womenparticipants, 73% were sexually active (n = 49,701) and 50% of sexually active women reported symptoms of sexual dysfunction. Symptoms of sexual dysfunction were less common among unpartnered than partnered women (42% vs. 51%; p < .0001). A positive association between menopause and sexual dysfunction was greater for unpartnered women (risk ratio, 2.37, 2.99; p < .001) than partnered women (risk ratio, 1.89, 2.00; p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Difficulty with sexual function is common among women in midlife, but less so than previously estimated. Regular monitoring of women's sexual function could enable clinicians to offer women timely, supportive interventions tailored by partner status and menopausal status.
Authors: E S Schernhammer; F Laden; F E Speizer; W C Willett; D J Hunter; I Kawachi; G A Colditz Journal: J Natl Cancer Inst Date: 2001-10-17 Impact factor: 13.506
Authors: Susan D Reed; Janet S Carpenter; Joseph Larson; Caroline M Mitchell; Jan Shifren; Julia Heiman; Nancy Fugate Woods; Stacy Tessler Lindau; Andrea Z LaCroix; Katherine A Guthrie Journal: Menopause Date: 2022-01-31 Impact factor: 3.310