Sexual minority women and symptoms at midlife

The purpose of this study was to examine vasomotor, somatic, emotional, and sexual symptoms in relation to sexual orientation.

Women aged 45 to 55 (n=274) from western Massachusetts participated in face-to-face interviews and anthropometric measures. Participants were asked, "Do you think of yourself as lesbian or gay; straight, that is not lesbian or gay; bisexual; something else; or don't know?" Bivariate analyses assessed sexual orientation in relation to each of 11 symptoms. Logistic regressions were carried out for aches/stiffness in joints, irritability, vaginal dryness, and loss of sexual desire in relation to sexual orientation, adjusting for menopausal status, partnership status, and body mass index (BMI).

Participants described themselves as "straight" (81%), "lesbian or gay" (7%), "bisexual" (7%), or other (5%). Partnership status, economic comfort, perceived stress, BMI, smoking habits, and parity did not differ by sexual orientation, but heterosexual women were more likely to drink alcohol. Compared with heterosexual women, sexual minority women had lower odds of reporting a loss of sexual desire (OR: 0.46, 95% CI: 0.24-0.89), and unpartnered women had a lower likelihood of reporting a loss of sexual desire (OR: 0.42, 95% CI: 0.24-0.73) compared with women with partners. Sexual minority women had higher odds of aches/stiffness in joints (OR: 3.78, 95% CI: 1.35-10.59).

Sexual minority women had lower odds of reporting a loss of sexual desire but were more likely to report aches/stiffness in joints. More research is needed to better understand factors contributing to the menopause experiences of sexual minority populations.