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A New View of Women's Sexual Health in Midlife and Beyond Reprinted from ARHP Clinical Proceedings®, a publication of the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals (ARHP). Use and reproduction of this publication for educational purposes is permitted and encouraged with proper citation. Association of Reproductive Health Professionals. Women’s Sexual Health in Midlife and Beyond. Washington, DC; 2005 http://www.arhp.org/healthcareproviders/cme/onlinecme/NYNCP/TOC.cfm "The health care profession has entered a new era of interest in sexuality, particularly for women. Talk about sexuality is ubiquitous and mainstream in our society today—the most prominent hallmarks being television shows like “Sex and the City,” magazines like Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Playboy, and Maxim, sexually evocative advertising, and the thousands of titles published in book form. Women are concerned about their sexual functioning and health, and about the health of their male or female partner, and are searching for ways to improve their sex lives. Although everyone is talking about sex, healthy sexuality and sexual problems remain areas of controversy, especially in regard to midlife and older women. The reasons are numerous and include an early, incorrect assumption by Masters and Johnson that the female sexual response proceeds in much the same linear way as the male sexual response, as well as a dearth of data, and extrapolation of much of the existing data from research findings in men. Other reasons include the absence of objective, sensitive, and reliable criteria for evaluating female sexual response and a prevailing belief that older adults lose their interest in sex. The advent of pharmacological treatments for erectile dysfunction has had a significant impact on male and female sexual functioning and is now bringing older women into the provider’s office complaining of sexual issues (e.g., low desire, lack of lubrication, and pain with intercourse). Yet, many patients are reticent to discuss sexual issues, and many providers feel ill equipped to respond to sexual complaints. It is time to encourage providers to talk about sexuality as part of the routine patient encounter and to help providers and patients feel more comfortable discussing these issues with the goal of enhancing patients’ quality of life. This Clinical Proceedings is part of the Nurture Your Nature initiative, a joint program of ARHP and the National Women’s Health Resource Center (NWHRC) to raise awareness about sexuality as a natural and valued aspect of American women’s lives, with a focus on menopausal women. This issue provides a review of the research and theories compiled to date, the variables affecting female sexual function, the evolving definitions, classifications, and treatments for female sexual disorders, and techniques for improving your skills in talking with patients about sexuality issues. We hope you find it of use in your practice". http://www.arhp.org/healthcareproviders/cme/onlinecme/NYNCP/TOC.cfm Association of Reproductive Health Professionals www.ARHP.org and National Women’s Health Resource Center www.healthywomen.org |
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