Sexual dysfunctions play a major role in decreasing a women’s quality of life. An example of sexual dysfunctions are dyspareunia and vaginal atrophy. Both conditions can be a side effect of menopause but are not limited to menopause, these conditions can arise from other origins as well. Dyspareunia is when a woman experiences pain during sexual intercourse. If a woman is experiencing pain during intercourse, they are more likely not to engage in the activity which can have huge effects on a women’s self-esteem and her relationships. The prevalence of dyspareunia is between eight to twenty-two percent of women and this makes this condition one of the most common in gynecology. This condition has many aspects of its origin it is “a mixture of anatomic, endocrine, pathologic, and emotional factors combine to challenge the diagnostic, therapeutic, and empathetic skills.” (Steege, 2009) Nurses should also be sensitive when addressing these issues because some women may not want to bring up because of shame and embarrassment or they may not be comfortable discussing such intimate issues. Another sexual dysfunction that some women of all ages may experience is vaginal atrophy. According to Mayo Clinic vaginal atrophy is the “thinning, drying and inflammation of the vaginal walls that may occur when your body has less estrogen. For many women, vaginal atrophy not only makes intercourse painful but also leads to distressing urinary symptoms.” (Mayo Clinic 2020) These two sexual dysfunctions can be symptoms of menopause. Kolander (2009) defines menopause as “the end of ovulation and menstruation.” (p. 456) It can be determined by the lack of a menstrual period for one year, typically occurs in women forty years old and older. According to Mayo Clinic menopause symptoms vary from woman to woman but the symptoms include “irregular periods, vaginal dryness, hot flashes, chills, night sweats, sleep problems, mood changes, weight gain and slowed metabolism, thinning hair and dry skin, loss of breast fullness.” (Mayo Clinic, 2020)

An evidence-based therapy for controlling menopause symptoms involved the use of herbal medicine. The study was done by Rahele Kargozar, Hoda Azizi, and Roshanak Salari and they set out to find herbal remedies for the side effects of menopause. The motivation for the study was due to the unwanted side effects women experience with pharmacological treatments, they set out to look for more medicinal plant remedies for acute menopause symptoms. Some of the herbs they found to have a crucial role in the treatment are “Sage herb, Lemon balm, Valerina officinalis, Black cohosh, Fenugreek, Black cumin, Vitex, Fennel, Evening primrose, Ginkgo biloba, Alfalfa, Hypericum perforatum, Panax ginseng, Pimpinella anisum, Red clover, and Glycine soja.” (Kargozar, R., 2017) Although the results showed that these had positive effects at remedying menopause, they also determined they need to do more research. Along with research done to treat the burdensome symptoms women may encounter in their life span like menopausal symptoms, many doctors set out to research areas of women’s health that bring women joy and pleasure such as female orgasms.

The videos posted were very insightful in this topic and showed the visual aspects of what happens inside the brain and the uterus during an orgasm. The question around both videos centered on why women have orgasms, and if the purpose is only for pleasure or if it helps in reproduction as well. The first video uses CT scan imagery to illustrate what parts of the brain were activated during an orgasm. Interestingly, there was no activity until about tens/eleven minutes into the process of the woman stimulating herself which indicates that the process takes time and is not instantaneous. The first area to light up was the sensory cortex that receives the feeling of stimulation. The next area was the hippocampus which regulates emotions, following by the cerebellum which is responsible for muscle movements. By the end of orgasm doctors noted that thirty areas of the brain lit up the CT scan throughout the entire experience. In the second video the doctor was testing the hypothesis of whether orgasms have a transportation function if it helps direct the sperm in a certain direction. They injected synthetic sperm that was radioactive which made it easier for the doctor to observe the colored sperm on the computer. The test would show if women having orgasms helps direct or navigate the sperm to the up to the women’s egg. The doctor used oxytocin to stimulation muscle contractions (simulating an orgasm). As the doctor observed, his hypothesis was correct, and the orgasm helped push the sperm into certain directions leading to the woman’s fallopian tubes.

References

Kargozar, R., Azizi, H., & Salari, R. (2017, November 25). A review of effective herbal medicines in controlling menopausal symptoms. National Institutes of Health. Retrieved from:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5783135/

Kolander, C., & Ballard, D. R., & Chandler, C. K. (2009). Contemporary Women’s Health Issues for Today and the Future. (5^thed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill.

Mayo Clinic. (2020). Menopause. Mayo Clinic. Retrieved from:

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/menopause/symptoms-causes/syc-20353397

Mayo Clinic. (2020). Vaginal Atrophy. Mayo Clinic. Retrieved from:

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/vaginal-atrophy/symptoms-causes/syc-20352288

Steege, J. & Zolnoun, D. (2009). Evaluation and Treatment of Dyspareunia. National Institutes of Health. Retrieved from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19384129/