Pelvic Floor Muscle Activity, Quality of Life, and Sexual Function in Peri- and Recently Postmenopausal Women With and Without Dyspareunia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Pelvic floor alterations during menopausal years, resulting from aging and hormonal decline, may lead to several forms of sexual dysfunction. Dyspareunia-pain during sexual intercourse-is among the most frequent. Nevertheless, few studies so far have evaluated pelvic floor muscle function in postmenopausal women with dyspareunia. The authors thus carried out a cross-sectional study to assess myoelectric activity in pelvic floor muscles in peri- and postmenopausal women with and without dyspareunia receiving routine care at an outpatient clinic. In addition, sexual function (using the Female Sexual Function Index) and quality of life (using the Cervantes Scale) were assessed. Fifty-one peri- and postmenopausal women between 45 to 60 years of age (M = 52.1, SD = 4.9) were evaluated, 27 with and 24 without dyspareunia. There were no statistically significant differences in resting muscle activity, maximal voluntary contraction, and sustained contraction between women with and without dyspareunia. There were statistically significant between-group differences on the Cervantes Scale (p =.009) and in all Female Sexual Function Index domains except desire and satisfaction (arousal, p =.019; lubrication, p =.030; orgasm, p =.032; pain, p <.001; desire, p =.061; satisfaction, p =.081), indicating that women with dyspareunia experience worse quality of life and less satisfactory sexual function as compared with women without dyspareunia.

Effect of electromyographic biofeedback as an add‐on to pelvic floor muscle exercises on neuromuscular outcomes and quality of life in postmenopausal women with stress urinary incontinence: A randomized controlled trial

“…Surface electromyography (EMG) techniques are based on the recording of electrical signals generated by depolarization of muscle cell membranes at the time of muscle contraction and can allow physical therapists to teach patients to contract and relax muscles in an appropriate, functional way while monitoring the progress of the intervention …”

Uterine Leiomyoma Is Associated with Female Sexual Dysfunction in Postmenopausal Women

“…This is an important issue, considering that more women are reaching menopause with uterine leiomyoma rather than undergoing hysterectomy, as conservative treatment is the mainstay in the management of leiomyoma, and menopause itself can affect FSD 11. Additionally, it is well known that sexual dysfunction can result in lower quality of women's life 12…”