Mulheres menopausadas: repercussões dos sintomas na atividade sexual.

Abstract

Menopause, absence of menstruation for a period of 12 months is actually a predictable and marked by a series of events that happen naturally associated with a range of signs and symptoms due to decreased estrogen production , which results in changes in ovarian structure and function. In the case of female sexuality , this it is a topic relevant to the category , however, little discoursed due to ignorance and taboos that prevail in society . And as a result of these factors the women who are in menopause , they feel disadvantaged by having to live with significant physiological and psychological changes that influence their lives and end up indirectly compromise the quality of life , since sexuality is also taken as a pillar to achieve such a condition . This study aimed to investigate the influence of menopause on sexual activity of women attending the USF Cuité -PB , seeking to characterize the sociodemographic and gynecological profile of the same , if any did hormone replacement therapy and menopausal symptoms that present and how these from the perspective of them, may have an influence on sexual activity , also looking at quality of sexual activity. This study treated an exploratory study , descriptive , using a quantitative approach to data collection a questionnaire constructed from two forms previously validated in Brazil : the Female Sexual Function Index ( FSFI ) and the Menopause Rating Scale ( MRS ) , where the construction of the questions was based on the Likert scale , and for data analysis , we used the median and the nonparametric Mann- Whitney and Kruskal - Wallis . The results indicate that the majority were between the ages of 50-59 years, in terms of schooling , 76 % ( 53 ) was found to have incomplete primary education , while in the occupation farmer stood 36 % ( 25 ) retired and 34 % ( 24 ) , in the category marital status , there was emphasis on married women , 77 % ( 54 ) and , in the case of hormone replacement therapy, 93 % ( 65 ) showed not perform such conduct . As for the characteristic symptoms of menopause , 67 % ( 47 ) had hot flushes , 44% ( 31 ) discomfort in the heart , 70% ( 49 ) joint and muscle problems , 57% ( 40 ) problems related to the bladder , 76% ( 53 ) did not had sexual problems and 24 % reported ; vaginal dryness was punctuated by 44 % ( 31 ) of the participants , 34% ( 24 ) reported sleep-related difficulties , 51 % ( 36 ) depressive mood and symptoms that stood out : irritability present in 81 % ( 57 ) of women , anxiety 74 % ( 52 ) and physical and mental exhaustion with 76 % ( 53 ) . Regarding the ability of menopause interfere with sexual activity only 40 % ( 24 ) stated this occurs . Most of them , 76 % ( 53 ) mentioned having vaginal lubrication during sexual activity , and discomfort or pain during vaginal penetration were present in the responses of 37 % ( 26 ) of women and 37 % of these ( 26 ) emphasized intensity "High " . It is inferred that menopause does interfere in the life of menopausal women , since the characteristic manifestations of this period have been identified in several reports , including those related to sexuality , which expressed symptoms of different intensities , so that everyone can adversely impact from the moment in which they understand this stage of life as deprivation and diseases.