The Relationship Between Sexual Function and Marital Satisfaction in Postmenopausal Women

Abstract

Background: The prevalence of sexual dysfunction among women increases with menopause. Thus, menopausal women may get worried about marital dissatisfaction due to sexual dysfunction. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between sexual function and marital satisfaction among postmenopausal women. Methods: This correlational study was carried out on 119 postmenopausal women conveniently recruited from two healthcare centers in Qom, Iran. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire, the Female Sexual Function Index, and ENRICH Marital Satisfaction Questionnaire. The SPSS software (v. 18.0) was used to test the correlations among study variables through Pearson’s correlation analysis at a significance level of less than 0.05. Results: The total score of marital satisfaction had no significant correlations with the scores of sexual function and its different dimensions (P > 0.05). Conclusions: This study suggests that sexual dysfunction does no significantly affect marital satisfaction among postmenopausal women. Thus, it seems that postmenopausal women need not to be worried about marital conflicts due to sexual dysfunction. Yet, they need counseling services in order to understand the effects of sexual dysfunction on different aspects of life. Further studies are needed to determine factors contributing to marital satisfaction among postmenopausal women.