Is there an association between menopause status and sexual functioning?

Objective: The purpose of this study was to address whether: (1) there is a n association between menopause status and various aspects of sexual functi oning, and (2) the relative contributions of menopause status and other var iables to various aspects of sexual functioning. Design: Analyses are based on 200 women from the Massachusetts Women's Heal th Study II, a population-based sample of women transitioning through the m enopause who were not HRT users? who had not had a surgical menopause, and who had partners. The women were classified as pre-, peri-, or postmenopaus al according to menstrual cycle characteristics. Estradiol, estrone, and fo llicle-stimulating hormone were also measured. Sexual functioning was measu red in terms of satisfaction. desire, frequency of sexual intercourse, beli ef that interest declines with age, arousal compared with a younger age, di fficulty reaching orgasm, and pain. Predictor variables included sociodemog raphics, health, vasomotor symptoms, psychological variables, partner varia bles, and lifestyle behaviors, Results: Menopause status was significantly related to lower sexual desire, a belief that interest in sexual activity declines with age, and women's r eports of decreased arousal compared with when in their 40s. Menopause stat us was unrelated to other aspects of sexual functioning in either unadjuste d or multiple regression analyses. In analyses in which log estradiol (E-2) was included in addition to menopause status, log E-2 was only related to pain. In multiple regression analyses, other factors such as health, marita l status (or new partner), mental health, and smoking had a greater impact on women's sexual functioning than menopause status. Conclusions: Menopause status, but not E-2, is related to some, but not all , aspects of sexual functioning. This may be due to menopause per se or oth er factors associated with menopause and aging (e.g., aging (e.g., increase d sexual dysfunction among aging men). Menopause status has a smaller impac t on sexual functioning than health or other factors. (Menopause 2000;7:297 -309. (C) 2000, The North American Menopause Society.).