Sexuality during the perimenopause.

Abstract

The perimenopause is a time of physiologic, intrapsychic, and social/cultural changes for middle-aged women, who might require assistance to maintain and enhance their sexuality during this transition. Attending to the biologic, psychological, relational, social, and cultural domains, and encouraging perimenopausal women to address these developmental challenges of midlife facilitates the healthy adaptation to this biologic and social transition. Emphasizing the physiologic changes that affect sexual arousal, and educating about enhancing and attending to arousal, might assist middle-aged women to increasingly enjoy their sexuality.