Relationship between Sexual Function and Quality of Life in Post-menopausal Women

Background and Quality of life (QOL) is believed to be influenced by sexual function during menopause. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between sexual function and QOL among post-menopausal women.
We performed a community-based, descriptive-analytical study of 405 post-menopausal women, aged 40 to 65 years. A multi-stage, randomized sampling was conducted. Data was obtained through interviews using the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), World Health Organization Quality of Life-BRIEF )WHOQOL-BREF(, and a researcher-made questionnaire. Data was then analyzed using t-test and multiple linear regression.
The mean age and mean duration of menopause were 52.84±3.7 years and 19.8±14.4 months, respectively. Among the subjects 324 (80%) were housewives and 369 (91.2%) had diploma or lower levels of education. The mean total score of QOL was 54.53±7.18. The highest and lowest scores were associated with physical health and psychological health domains, respectively. Overall, 61% had female sexual dysfunction (FSD). The total scores for FSFI were in a positive correlation with the total scores for WHOQOL-BREF (r=0.285, P Sexual dysfunction could have a negative impact on the quality of life in post-menopausal women. Therefore, to enhance the quality of life in this population sexual dysfunction requires more attention when implementing women’s health initiatives.