[Assessment of orgasmic capacity of postmenopausal women].
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.
Penteado
Sonia Regina Lenharo
SR
Departamento de Obstetrícia e Ginecologia, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidad de São Paulo, SP.
Fonseca
Angela Maggio da
AM
Bagnoli
Vicente Renato
VR
Assis
Joserita Serrano
JS
Pinotti
José Aristodemo
JA
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