014 Association between Verbal/Physical Abuse and Sexual Dissatisfaction among Postmenopausal Women in the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI)

Abstract

To investigate the cross-sectional relationship between self-reported verbal and/or physical abuse (VA/PA) experienced in the past year, dissatisfaction with sexual activity, and dissatisfaction with frequency of sexual activity, among postmenopausal women in a large clinical trial. Archival data was drawn from 161,859 postmenopausal women, aged 50-79, who participated in the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) clinical trials (all components) and observational study. Data on the subset of 83,145 WHI participants who reported being sexually active in the year prior to baseline was included in our analyses. Past-year exposure to VA and/or PA was assessed via self-report at baseline. Adjusted odds of dissatisfaction with sexual activity and with frequency of sexual activity (assessed via self-report) among women with and without VA/PA exposure were calculated. Descriptive analyses characterized the directionality of sexual frequency dissatisfaction (i.e., desiring more/less frequency) by VA/PA exposure. Of the 83,145 women reporting past-year sexual activity, approximately 11% (n = 9,386) indicated exposure to any VA/PA. Exposure to VA/PA was associated with 1.5 times greater odds of dissatisfaction with sexual activity (95% CI 1.37, 1.59), adjusted for sociodemographic variables, menopausal symptoms, and health risk factors (cigarette or alcohol use, body mass index, history of hysterectomy, urinary incontinence, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, arthritis, cancer, diabetes, and hip fracture, self-rated health, depressive symptoms, and use of antidepressants). VA/PA exposure was associated with 1.6 times greater odds of dissatisfaction with frequency of sexual activity (95% CI 1.41, 1.72), adjusted for these covariates. About 34.5% of women exposed to VA/PA, and 21.6% without such exposure, were dissatisfied with sexual activity. Almost half (49.3%) of women with VA/PA exposure were dissatisfied with the frequency of sexual activity, compared with 32.2% of women without VA/PA exposure. Most dissatisfied women desired more frequent activity.