The Effect of Menopause on the Sexual Functions and Marital Adjustment of the Spouses

Abstract

Background: This study was conducted as a cross-sectional descriptive study to determine the effect of menopause on the SFs and marital adjustment (MA) of the spouses. Materials and Methods: The sample of the study consisted of a total of 254 people, 127 of whom were postmenopausal women and their spouses. The data were collected with the Descriptive Information Form, the Female Sexual Function Scale (FSFS), the Arizona Sexual Experiences Scale (ASES), and the Marital Adjustment Scale (MAS). The t-test, Mann–Whitney U-test, Kruskal–Wallis test, and correlation analysis were used in the analysis of the data. Results: Sexual dysfunctions (SDs) were detected in 91.3% of women and 77.2% of men. MA was found to be low in 74.1% of the women. The relationship between the level of MA and the total mean score of the women’s FSFS was found to be statistically significant (P < 0.05). In addition, the relationship between the presence of SD in the postmenopausal women and the mean ASES score in the husband was found to be statistically significant (P < 0.05). According to Spearman’s rho correlation coefficient, the positive correlation between the total mean score of the MAS and the mean total score of the FSFS was weak (r = 0.290; P = 0.001), and the negative correlation between the mean score of the total score of the ASES was weak (r = −0.381; P = 0.000) which was found to be a relationship (P < 0.05). Conclusion: In this study, it was determined that menopause affects the marriage and sexual adjustment of spouses negatively.