Sexual desire of middle aged women. a prospective study of women born in 1936
Køster, A.; Garde, K.
Ugeskrift for Laeger 156(11): 1631-1635
1994
ISSN/ISBN: 0041-5782 PMID: 8009658 Document Number: 424074
This study examines the nature of sexual desire experienced during hte climacteric and attempts to identify predictors for frequency and change of sexual desire using a prospective design. Four hundred and seventy-four women constituting 76% of the original cohort of a general population of Danish women born 1936 were examined by interview and questionnaire at the ages of 40, 45 and 51. Main items were sexual behaviour, expectations towards/experience of menopause, general health status and social background. Most women (70%) experienced no change in sexual desire during the study period. The 51-year-old women's experience of frequency or change in sexual desire was not related to menopausal status. Frequency of sexual desire was highly correlated to previous and present subjective health status, former sexual activity, partner availability and social status. Finally, anticipations of declining sexual desire as a consequence of menopause actually predicted a decrease.