|
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?
"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.
*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.
back to Menopause index
TOP OF PAGE
SEARCH BY SUBJECT -
TABLE OF CONTENTS
THIS MONTH'S HEALTH
BULLETIN NEWS
If you
find Health Bulletin
interesting,
please click here to "Tell a Friend"
click here |
