title: Sexuality of Chinese women around menopause.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the sexual activities and prevalence of sexual dysfunctions in midlife Chinese women and their correlations with demographic factors, sexual dissatisfaction and interpersonal difficulty.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a cross-sectional survey of a convenience sample of women aged 40-60, who requested gynecological checkup or attend social activities at Women's Club.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sexual activities, sexual dysfunctions, sexual dissatisfaction, demographic factors and interpersonal difficulty were assessed by self-administered questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among 371 eligible subjects, 22.4% and 39.6% women had low intimacy and coitus frequency (0 to <12 acts in one year), respectively. The odds ratios for low coital frequency in the natural menopausal and surgical menopausal subgroups were 3.00 and 5.09, respectively (95% confidence interval: 1.73-5.19 and 1.77-14.69, respectively). Overall, 77.2% women had at least one type of sexual dysfunctions; this proportion was highest in the surgically menopausal subgroup (88.9%) followed by the naturally menopausal subgroup (79.3%), the perimenopausal subgroup (78.2%) and the premenopausal subgroup (72.2%) (p=0.003). No lubrication (42.9%) was the commonest sexual dysfunction and predominantly affected naturally and surgically menopaused women (p=0.001). Sexual dysfunction was the major contributor to sexual dissatisfaction (0.80), followed by interpersonal difficulty (0.2). Arousal disorder was the pivot of interaction between sexual dissatisfaction, menopausal status and low coital frequency.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Chinese women had fewer intimate contacts and less coitus when menopause progressed. No lubrication was the commonest sexual dysfunction and predominantly affected menopaused women. Our model showed that sexual dysfunction is the main contributor to sexual dissatisfaction.
authors.affiliation: The Family Planning Association of Hong Kong, G/F, 8/F, 9/F, 10/F Southorn Centre, Wanchai, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. stlo@famplan.org.hk
authors.forename: Sue Seen-Tsing
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Lo
authors.forename: Wai-Ming
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Kok
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001143:Arousal; D044466:Asian People; D002681:China; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007989:Libido; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D047648:Perimenopause / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology*; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology*; D017697:Premenopause / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology*; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D012735:Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D020018:Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological / Q000523:psychology