Changes in sexual behavior in Bulgarian women after the menopause

Sexual dysfunction is frequently observed in postmenopausal women but there are few epidemiological studies of the relationship between the menopause and sexual functioning. An epidemiological study of sexual function was performed among 619 Bulgarian women aged between 40 and 58 years. Two hundred and eighty-five (46%) had a normal menstrual cycle (group A) and 334 (54%) were postmenopausal. Of these, 302 (group C) did not use hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and 32 were on HRT (group B). Many women feel uneasy and are unwilling to talk about their sexual problems even with medical professionals. This fact warranted the implementation of an anonymous questionnaire. There were significant differences in all sexual function parameters reported between groups C and A (p < 0.001), as well as between groups C and B (p < 0.05). These results suggest that HRT restores the dynamics of sexual life in postmenopausal women and brings them closer to those of normally menstruating middle-aged women.