Sexual Satisfaction and Function in Postmenopausal Women Treated with Herbal Medicines: A Review of Clinical Trials

It is widely accepted that lower levels of sexual satisfaction and function are among the common problems in postmenopausal women. Several studies have examined the effect of plants containing phytoestrogens for the prevention and treatment of menopause complications. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of medicinal plants on the sexual satisfaction and function of postmenopausal women. Related English and Persian articles published between 2000 and December 2018 were searched through the databases of Iran Medex, PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, and Science Direct. The articles were searched using the keyword of "menopause" through Boolean Operators of AND and OR with keywords of "sexual satisfaction", "sexual function", "herbal supplement", "Review Study in English and Persian ". Of the 87 searched articles, 20 articles were ultimately analyzed with a sample size of 1555 people. Plants of Bindii, Fenugreek, Fennel, Liquorice, Pueraria Mirifica, Ginseng, Red clover, and Aphrodit had positive effects on dyspareunia, as well as sexual satisfaction and function. Date pollen did not affect sexual satisfaction; moreover, Ginkgo biloba capsule had no effect on dyspareunia and sexual satisfaction. Medicinal herbs containing phytoestrogens can be considered as a selective treatment for the improvement of dyspareunia and enhancement of the sexual satisfaction and function of postmenopausal women. However, due to the variety of herbs containing phytoestrogens, further studies are needed to determine the effective dose and effects as well as their possible complications.