FACTORS AFFECTING SEXUAL LIFE OF MENOPAUSAL WOMEN: SCOPING REVIEW

Abstract

Background: WHO predicts that there will be a menopause explosion in 2030 with around 1.2 billion women aged over 50 years. Most of them (about 80%) live in developing countries. The population of postmenopausal women is increasing by about three percent every year. Although menopause is a normal condition, it turns out that not all women can accept this well, one of which is related to sexual problems. Objective: To determine the factors that influence the sexual life of menopausal women in various countries based on the results of past studies. Method: Scoping Review which adapts the Arskey and O'Malley framework. This study took databases from PubMed, EbscoHost, and ProQuest. Results: There were 20 articles out of 2,415 selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. This research has 2 main themes, consisting of physical aspects and psycho-social aspects. Physical aspects that affect the sexual life of menopausal women are hot flushes, vaginal dryness, changes in body shape, insomnia, fatigue, and body image. Meanwhile, psycho-social aspects, in this case, include stress, depression, socio-culture, intimacy with partners, lack of social support, and lack of information and health services for menopausal women. Conclusion: The factors that affect the sexual life of menopausal women are a description of physical and psychological discomfort. The most dominant factors affecting the sexual life of menopausal women are hot flushes, vaginal dryness, body image, depression, lack of social support, and lack of information and health services for women during menopause. There is a need for further research on the factors that influence the sexual life of menopausal women in Indonesia to be more relevant to describe conditions in Indonesia. <p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0888/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>