The impact of climacteric symptoms on pelvic floor function and female sexuality: An integrative literature review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62827/fb.v27i6.1231Keywords:
Climacteric; Menopause; Sexual function; Sexuality; Pelvic floor.Abstract
Introduction: Climacteric is a biological transition phase marked by hormonal changes that may impact several aspects of women’s health, including the urogenital system, pelvic floor function, and sexuality. Objective: It was sumarize the scientific evidence available in Brazilian theses and dissertations regarding the relationship between climacteric symptoms, pelvic floor function, and female sexuality. Methods: This is an integrative literature review conducted according to the method proposed by Mendes, Silveira, and Galvão. The search was carried out in the Portal de Teses e Dissertações da Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) Theses and Dissertations Database using descriptors related to climacteric, menopause, female sexuality, and pelvic floor dysfunctions. Theses and dissertations written in Portuguese, available in full text, and related to the study topic were included. The selected studies were analyzed regarding objectives, methodological design, assessment instruments, and main findings. Results: Climacteric symptoms are associated with a higher prevalence of urogenital complaints, such as urinary incontinence, as well as negative impacts on sexual function, quality of life, and women’s health perception. Behavioral factors such as sedentary lifestyle, obesity, and smoking were also identified as associated with urinary dysfunctions. In addition, greater pelvic floor muscle strength was related to better sexual function in postmenopausal women. However, the analyzed studies addressed these aspects separately, without simultaneously investigating the relationship between climacteric symptoms, pelvic floor function, female sexuality, and genital self-image. Conclusion: There is a gap in Brazilian scientific literature regarding the integration of climacteric symptoms, pelvic floor function, female sexuality, and genital self-image, highlighting the need for studies investigating these dimensions in an integrated manner.
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