Menopause and aging, quality of life and sexuality

Abstract

In 19th century society, education and sexual activity were not considered appropriate for respectable women. There was a belief that neurasthenia, menstrual madness and hysteria were due to too much reading and listening to music. Certainly, women were too weak from their monthly loss to be worthy of education. Nymphomania, masturbation and moral insanity were generally believed by psychiatrists and gynecologists alike to be severe disorders which led to depression, coma, paralysis and death. There were many operations to treat these conditions, including ovariotomy for menstrual madness, pioneered by Robert Battey of Atlanta and Lawson Tait of Birmingham. Clitoridectomy for nymphomania, masturbation and various vague gynecological disorders was recommended by Isaac Baker Brown of London.The following clinicians and researchers participated in the Workshop and contributed towards this

Symptoms of Depressed Mood, Disturbed Sleep, and Sexual Problems in Midlife Women: Cross-Sectional Data from the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation

“…Studies have shown repeatedly that relationship factors (availability of sexual partner and quality of relationship) and psychological factors including mood, anxiety, and depression outweigh hormonal contribution to overall sexual function in menopausal-aged women. [16][17][18][19] During the MT, the symptom triad of disturbed sleep, depressed mood, and sexual problems may be more likely to co-occur in women with psychosocial risk factors. In our clinical population of midlife women aged 40-60 years seeking care from menopause specialists, 20% of women surveyed complained of the symptom triad of disturbed sleep, depressed mood, and sexual problems.…”

Possibilities of using melatonin in gynecology

“…Внешним проявлением такого дезадаптивно-го ответа становятся вазомоторные (приливы жара, ночная потливость) и психосоматиче-ские (раздражительность, вялость, утомляе-мость, депрессия, головные боли, нарушение памяти, расстройства сна, суставные боли, сердцебиение, истерические припадки, сни-жение либидо и др.) симптомы, снижающие качество жизни и вынуждающие обращаться за медицинской помощью [1][2][3].…”

“…Внешним проявлением такого дезадаптивно-го ответа становятся вазомоторные (приливы жара, ночная потливость) и психосоматиче-ские (раздражительность, вялость, утомляе-мость, депрессия, головные боли, нарушение памяти, расстройства сна, суставные боли, сердцебиение, истерические припадки, сни-жение либидо и др.) симптомы, снижающие качество жизни и вынуждающие обращаться за медицинской помощью [1][2][3].Развитие вазомоторной и психосоматиче-ской симптоматики опережает возникнове-ние обменных и урогенитальных менопау-зальных нарушений [4]. Это отмечают 35-80% женщин, находящихся на стадиях менопау-зального перехода и постменопаузы, а от 50 до 70% пациенток обращаются за медицин-ской помощью по поводу климактерических нарушений.…”

Caring for women in their post reproductive life: current recommendations on hormone replacement therapy

“…However, with improvement in general living conditions women are now more concerned about sexual wellbeing in later life [10].…”