Sexual Dysfunction. A Decline in Female Sexual Function in Midlife, Why?

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The Sexual Function Forum
We hereby report on the Third Annual Female Sexual Function Forum, held in Boston, Mass., October 26-29, 2000. The Fourth Forum results will appear here very soon.

Intro by Dr. Lorraine Dennerstein who observed, "The U.S. National Health and Social Life Survey of 1749 women aged 18-59 years reported a prevalence of sexual dysfunction of 43% for women. This figure was substantially higher than that found in the same survey for males (31%)."

Catherine Johannes of the New England Research Inst. in Watertown, Mass., told the Forum that In their studies, "Only one third of the '3302 women aged 42-52] reported that sex was quite or extremely important in their lives, and 78.5%....had engaged in partnered sex in the prior six months.....One percent had never had sex....and over 40% of the women reported infrequent desire or enjoyment of sex."

A Decline in Female Sexual Function in Midlife, Why?

Dr. Dennerstein noted that "A high indicence of sexual problems is reported by women attending menopause clinics... Aging and length of the relationship are known to affect sexual function of both men and women. Dr. James** reported ".... that coital rate halved over the first year of marriage and then took another 20 years to halve again. The early work of Pfeiffer and Davies from the Duke University study found a pattern of declining sexual activity in both men and women, but the 'decline] was larger for women than for men.... The Swedish studies of Hallstrom.... 'and the] Oxford studies 'confirmed this] and found a dramatic decline in sexual interest, capacity for orgasm, and coital frequency with increasing age.

A Deficiency of Testosterone and DHEA?

"Dr. Andre Guay*** presented a 'scientific] literature review from a small sample of women presenting with sexual dysfunction, which suggested that both premenopausal and postmenopausal women with sexual dysfunction may have lower androgen levels 'total testosterone, free testosterone and DHEA] than ....reference ranges. He also presented uncontrolled clinical trial data that found improvement in libido when women were given DHEA oral treatment.

**W. James, J. of Biosoc. Sci.
***A. Guay, Lahey Clinic, Peabody, Mass.

Herbs and Sexual Experience

Of an herb, Maca, one report notes that "Traditionally it is attributed 'to have] nutritional, energizing, fertilizing properties among others."

Found in the high Peruvian Andes, it was evaluated in animals by the Instituto de Medicina Tropical Alexander von Humboldt, Lima, Peru,* and found to be healthful. A scattering of other studies has shown some sexual-heightening qualities, though none are thus far definitive.

Sexual Dysfunction. A Decline in Female Sexual Function in Midlife, Why? Bibliography

Third Annual Female Sexual Function Forum, held in Boston, Mass., October 26-29, 2000

J. of Biosoc. Sci.

*By Drs. Canales, Aguilar, Prada, Carbajal, et al, reported in Arch. Latinoam Nutr, June, 2000 (in Spanish.)
Another herb, Ginseng is thought to have such properties, though studies have shown it to be an energy-enhancer, which might be helpful though not really directly sexual.