Sexual function, mood and menopause symptoms in Lithuanian postmenopausal women

ABSTRACT

Objectives To assess sexual function in a clinical sample of Lithuanian postmenopausal women and identify the most important determinants of sexual function, including the use of hormone replacement therapy (HT), emotional status and menopausal symptoms.

Methods Three hundred postmenopausal women who were referred to a gynecologist for a routine yearly check-up were enrolled for the study. Data for 246 women were appropriate for statistical analysis. Participants filled the Female Sexual Function Index for evaluation of sexual function, the Greene Climacteric Scale for the assessment of menopause symptoms and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale for the evaluation of depression and anxiety symptoms.

Results Sexual function was better in younger women and in HT users compared with non-users. Thus, to analyze the other variables, an adjustment for age was applied. HT significantly increased the likelihood of higher desire, lubrication, satisfaction, and lower pain when adjusting results for age. HT reduced the likelihood of psychological and depression symptoms and increased the likelihood of vasomotor symptoms of menopause when results adjusted for age were analyzed. HT did not appear to affect anxiety symptoms after the results were adjusted for age.

Conclusions HT increased chances for better sexual desire, lubrication, satisfaction, less pain and lower depression symptoms in postmenopausal women, even when the results were adjusted by age. HT did not improve sexual arousal, orgasm, menopausal and anxiety symptoms. Depression, anxiety, menopausal symptoms and age were the main risk factors for the possible development of sexual dysfunction.

Key words::

• SEXUAL FUNCTION
• POSTMENOPAUSE
• HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY
• DEPRESSION
• ANXIETY
• MENOPAUSE SYMPTOMS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The authors would like to thank to R. Rosen and colleagues for permission to use their dimensional scales.

Conflict of interest The authors report no conflict of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this paper.

Source of funding This project was financed by the Lithuanian State Science and Studies Foundation and by a study grant for young scientists from the Gedeon Richter Ltd. pharmaceutical company.