Do Sexual Myths Affect Menopause Attitudes and Symptoms?

Abstract

Objective: Sexual myths are common in some societies. Menopause is one of the important processes in a woman's life and many changes are seen during this period. Many factors play a role in these changes, menopausal attitudes and symptoms, and one of them is sexual myths. In this study, it was aimed to determine the relationship between having sexual myths and menopausal attitudes and symptoms in postmenopausal women.Methods: The study had a descriptive analytical design and the study sample included 424 postmenopausal women. Data were gathered with personal characteristics form and the self-report tools Sexual Myths Scale, Menopausal Attitude Assessment Scale and Menopause Rating Scale.Results: The mean age of the women was 57.12 & PLUSMN;5.60 years and the mean duration of menopause was 10.58 & PLUSMN;7.02 years. The mean score on Sexual Myths Scale was 92.28 & PLUSMN;17.80, the mean score on Menopausal Attitude Assessment Scale was 27.86 & PLUSMN;8.06 and the mean score on Menopause Rating Scale was 17.11 & PLUSMN;9.43. There was not a relation between the score on Sexual Myths Scale and the mean score on Menopausal Attitude Assessment Scale (r=-0.067, p=0.168), but there was a significant, positive weak relation between the mean score on Sexual Myths Scale and the mean score on Menopause Rating Scale (r=0.125, p=0.010).Conclusions: The postmenopausal women had a fairly high level of sexual myths. Sexual myths had a significant, positive relation with menopausal symptoms and their severity, though the relation was weak. Also, sexual myths had no relation with attitudes to menopause.