Cross-sectional study of the association between regular sexual activity and sexual function and genitourinary...

We assessed sexual symptoms and function in perimenopausal and postmenopausal Japanese women and examined the association between sexual regularity and their symptoms.

Sexually active women aged 40-79 (n = 911) were selected from the genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) in Japanese Women study (n = 4,134) and then divided into 2 groups: regular sexual activity group, which comprised women with sexual activity in the past 3 months (n = 716), and lower sexual activity group, which comprised women with sexual activity in the past year but not in the past 3 months (n = 195). We evaluated sexual function and symptoms in the regular sexual activity group using the Female Sexual Function Index and compared GSM-related symptoms between the two groups.

Sexual desire, arousal, and lubrication ability declined significantly with age. Sexual pain increases with age. However, orgasm and satisfaction did not decline significantly with age. Regular and lower sexual activity groups did not differ significantly in sexual symptoms; however, vulvar symptoms in daily life were significantly lower in the regular sexual activity group than in the lower activity group. Sexual activity in the past 3 months was associated with lower odds of vulvar pain, dryness, and irritation.

This study reveals an association between regular sexual activity and low prevalence of GSM-related symptoms in daily life. The direction of this relationship could not be evaluated in this study and needs to be explored using prospective studies.