Women's Experiences of Intimate and Sexual Relationships During Menopause: A Qualitative Synthesis.
Hatice Bulut, Sharron Hinchliff, Parveen Ali and 1 others
PMID 39334554WHAT IT FOUND
Menopause brought relief from pregnancy fears and menstruation for some women, but loss of femininity, pain, dryness, body-image worries and partner problems affected sex.
Desire did not always fall. Nurses can ask about intimacy without assuming decline.
Key findings
01Some women felt relief from pregnancy worries, menstruation and contraception, while others felt menopause removed a sense of womanhood.
02Women linked sexual problems to hot flushes, vaginal dryness, pain and mood changes, and to factors beyond menopause.
03Women said clinicians often did not ask about sexual concerns, and taboo or fear of judgement made them avoid discussing sex.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
It is a synthesis of qualitative studies, so it reports experiences and themes, not tested effects of any intervention. Only English-language studies from 2005 to July 2023 were included, so non-English work may be missing. Included studies were heterogeneous: participants ranged from 20 to 83 years, some included men and healthcare professionals as well as women, and sample sizes varied from 12 to 146. The review excluded surgical menopause, women with chronic diseases, addictions, or specific treatments such as hormone replacement therapy, so findings may not apply to those patients. Cultural context matters: some studies were from male-dominated societies, and experiences differed by country.
Declared interests
The review was performed as part of a PhD study. The article is listed as supported by non-U.S. government research, and no other funding or author conflict statements are provided.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that menopause causes reduced sexual desire or that any treatment improves sexual function. It is a synthesis of women's experiences, and some UK and Australian studies found sexual desire and frequency increased.