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Women's sexuality: from aging to social representations
Virginie Ringa1, Kevin Diter, Caroline Laborde
1Centre for Research in Epidemiology and Population Health (CESP), U1018, Gender, Sexual and Reproductive Health Team, Inserm, le Kremlin Bicêtre, France; UMRS 1018, Univ Paris Sud, le Kremlin Bicêtre, France; INED, Paris, France.
The Journal of Sexual Medicine
|July 30, 2013
Summary
Menopause does not negatively impact sexual activity or satisfaction in middle-aged women. Negative perceptions of sexuality around menopause are often due to anticipation, not biological changes.
Area of Science:
- Sociology of health
- Women's health
- Reproductive health
Background:
- Sexual activity remains common for women over 50.
- Factors beyond hormones influence midlife sexuality, including social and psychological elements.
- Social perceptions of sexuality play a significant role.
Purpose of the Study:
- Analyze sexuality components in women aged 45-55 during menopause.
- Examine social representations of sexuality in this demographic.
- Investigate the impact of menopause on sexual well-being.
Main Methods:
- Compared premenopausal women (408) with postmenopausal women (277).
- Subdivided postmenopausal groups based on hormonal treatment (HT) use (HT users: 68; non-users: 209).
- Utilized telephone interviews from a national sexual behavior survey.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in sexual activity, practices, dysfunction, or satisfaction across menopausal statuses.
- Postmenopausal women not using HT were less likely to view sexual inactivity as a relationship issue.
- Hormonal treatment use in postmenopausal women negated this difference in perception.
Conclusions:
- Menopause's biological/hormonal changes do not inherently harm sexual life.
- Negative sexual effects are likely driven by anticipation and social representations, not biology.
- Menopause's impact may be more symbolic, linked to perceptions of aging.
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