Sexual Minority Women Report Better Sexual Functioning Than Heterosexual Women

FRIDAY, Dec. 20, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Sexual minority women (SMW) report better sexual functioning in midlife than their heterosexual peers, according to a study published online Dec. 17 in Menopause.

Laura A. Muratore, from the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Health Care System, and colleagues compared whether indices of sexual function differed between SMW and heterosexual midlife women veterans. The analysis included survey results from 232 participants (25 percent SMW).

The researchers found that compared with heterosexual women, SMW were more likely to endorse recent sexual activity (odds ratio, 2.20), less likely to report pain during sex (odds ratio, 0.07), and less likely to report past-month vaginal symptoms (odds ratio, 0.33); SMW also reported less impact of vaginal symptoms on sexual function (β = −0.24). High levels of distress related to sexual dysfunction were reported by both groups.

“The results of this study highlight that menopause and aging substantively affect sexual health and functioning in women veterans and, further, that experiences may vary significantly based on sexual identity,” Stephanie Faubion, M.D., medical director of The Menopause Society, said in a statement. “Additional research is needed to better understand the unique needs of midlife sexual minority women and to promote the provision of affirming health care to sexual minority women veterans.”

One author disclosed ties to Astellas Pharmaceuticals.

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