New Study on Sexual Satisfaction among Older Women Finds Good News in Sexual Satisfaction and Bad News in Sexual Function

Among mature, sexually active women in a San Diego study, 78% reported sexual satisfaction but up to 71% were hindered by vaginal dryness, a symptom easily alleviated by Replens® Long-Lasting Vaginal Moisturizer

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A new study published in the January 2012 issue of the American Journal of Medicine contained both good news and potential concerns about sexual activity for older American women. The study,¹ written by three researchers from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and based on responses from 806 older women who live in a San Diego area planned community and whose health has been tracked for 40 years, found that sexual satisfaction increases with age among sexually active older women, and even those women who were not sexually active reported satisfaction with their sex lives. However, the study also identified vaginal dryness as a concern for older women that could affect their sexual function.

“The new San Diego study helps quantify what doctors are already seeing – that, today, aging Americans can and do enjoy high levels of sexual satisfaction”

The participants in the American Journal of Medicine study (who ranged in age from 40 to 99, with a median age of 67) contributed valuable insights to this issue. Researchers found that, while 61 percent of all women in the study and 78 percent of those women who were sexually active were satisfied with their overall sex life, sexual satisfaction increased with age among sexually active older women. Satisfaction with the amount of emotional closeness during sexual activity with a partner was associated with more frequent arousal, lubrication, and orgasm. However, frequency of vaginal lubrication during sexual activity decreased with age; 60.8% of the youngest women reported lubrication almost always compared with only 28.6% of women age 80 years or more. A similar trend was reported with frequency of and difficulty maintaining lubrication.

Previous studies support this study, having found that vaginal dryness ranks among the 10 most common problems occurring during menopause. “Millions of women suffer from vaginal dryness, a real problem that affects and interferes with their daily lives. The effects of vaginal dryness range from minor discomfort to chronic pain," says Dr. Machelle Seibel, a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Massachusetts and founder of DoctorSeibel.com. “And, unlike other symptoms of menopause, like hot flashes or night sweats, which usually lessen or disappear within five years, vaginal dryness continues and often worsens throughout the rest of a woman’s life.” Like many doctors, Dr. Seibel often recommends Replens Long-Lasting Vaginal Moisturizer as one of the most effective ways to address vaginal dryness issues. Replens is an estrogen-free, clinically tested over-the-counter product that not only helps replenish vaginal moisture, but also helps rejuvenate dry vaginal cells.

Vaginal dryness can also be treated with estrogen through hormone replacement therapy for women of menopausal age and older. But women on hormone replacement therapy frequently still experience vaginal dryness, especially with today’s push towards low dose therapies. After discussing with their medical professional, many conclude that the risks of hormone replacement therapy simply outweigh the benefits. A study in The New England Journal of Medicine² reported that over-the-counter Replens® is as effective at alleviating vaginal dryness as prescription hormones, stating that Replens® “provided relief of vaginal (dryness) symptoms that was equivalent to that of vaginal estrogen…”

“The new San Diego study helps quantify what doctors are already seeing – that, today, aging Americans can and do enjoy high levels of sexual satisfaction,” says Dr. Seibel. “Staying sexually active can help to improve sexual function as sexual activity helps maintain vaginal wall tissues. Unfortunately, due to vaginal dryness, sex can hurt, and women with this condition suffer a great deal. This failure in sexual function may cause them to miss out on that increased sexual satisfaction. That's why it's important that women take action: talk with your doctor, try an over-the-counter vaginal moisturizer, like Replens. Don’t accept that aging means the end of sexual satisfaction.”

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¹ Susan E. Trompeter, Ricki Bettencourt and Elizabeth Barrett-Connor, “Sexual Activity and Satisfaction in Healthy Community-dwelling Older Women,” The American Journal of Medicine, Volume 125, Issue 1, January 2012, pages 37-43. http://www.amjmed.com/article/PIIS0002934311006553/fulltext

² Deborah Grady, “Management of Menopausal Symptoms,” The New England Journal of Medicine, November 30, 2006, pages 2338-2347. http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMcp054015.