More than a third of women in perimenopause, or after menopause, report sexual difficulties, ranging from lack of interest in sex to difficulty reaching orgasm. Painful intercourse has also been reported in 20% to 59% of perimenopausal and postmenopausal women.
This 13-year study looked at whether a decrease in sex frequency was responsible for women’s painful sexual symptoms as they transitioned into menopause. The study also examined other factors that may be associated with sexual pain.
There is a common belief that women who are not sexually active, especially after menopause, lose the ability to have comfortable sex. But this study provides some empirical evidence against this popular notion.
This study collected annual questionnaire data during the first 10 visits of the National Women’s Health Study (SWAN), a multicenter, multiracial, and multiethnic prospective study of menopausal transition. The inclusion criteria for this study were individuals aged 42-52 years who identified themselves as Black, Hispanic, Japanese, Chinese, or Caucasian.
Menopause transition: Is intercourse frequency related to painful intercourse?
Of the 2,247 women who had no pain during sex at baseline, 1,087 (48.4%) experienced pain during sex at least “sometimes” up to 10 follow-up visits over 13 years. .
Participants completed questionnaires at each visit, assessing the frequency of engaging in sexual acts, genital or urinary symptoms, and pain sensation during sexual activity.
They also found that women were at greatest risk of sexual pain during late perimenopause and postmenopause, independent of age, and that the use of systemic hormone therapy did not appear to reduce risk of developing this sexual pain.
Reports of vaginal dryness were most strongly associated with the development of pain. Engaging in oral sex and having a higher frequency of arousal are associated with a reduced likelihood of pain during sex.
The results of this study show that Women with reduced sexual activity do not appear to have a higher risk of sexual pain than women who maintain or increase the frequency of sexual intercourse..
Women and their health care professionals should focus on developing individualized strategies to prevent and treat pain during sex and not attribute pain to decreased frequency of intercourse.
Source: Medindia
