title: [Assessment of orgasmic capacity of postmenopausal women].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To correlate the capacity of healthy postmenopausal women to have orgasms (during intercourse or by solitary masturbation) with psychosocial, behavioral, climacteric, hormonal and interpersonal factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nine hundred and ninety-nine women (aged from 41 to 60 years) underwent physical and supplementary tests and answered questionnaires regarding sexual behaviour. Sixty healthy women, sexually active, with one or more years of amenorrhea, without hormone therapy and with a partner capable of intercourse were chosen from this group. A Logistic Regression Model with one dependent variable -- orgasmic capacity -- and seventeen independent variables -- psychosocial, behavioral, interpersonal, climacteric and hormonal factors -- was developed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The orgasmic capacity correlated significantly with the practice of masturbation (p=0.000), with pleasure in embracing and caressing the partner's body (p=0.036) and with the presence of vaginal dryness (p=0.021).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study shows that the most important factors were interpersonal and behavioral and that the other parameters considered were not statistically significant. Women with vaginal dryness, who however engage in masturbation and maintain an affective relationship with their partner, obtain an equal or a greater number of orgasms when compared to the frequency of sexual intercourse.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Obstetrícia e Ginecologia, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidad de São Paulo, SP.
authors.forename: Sonia Regina Lenharo
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Penteado
authors.forename: Angela Maggio da
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Fonseca
authors.forename: Vicente Renato
authors.initials: VR
authors.lastname: Bagnoli
authors.forename: Joserita Serrano
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Assis
authors.forename: José Aristodemo
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Pinotti
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003075:Coitus / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007989:Libido / Q000502:physiology; D008418:Masturbation / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009948:Orgasm / Q000502:physiology*; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires