Dalarna University's logo and link to the university's website

Background: Women express a lack of knowledge of symptoms and available treatments connected to sexuality during menopause. Women's issues are less prioritized when it comes to research and limited funds are invested in female sexuality. Stigmas around menopause and female sexuality also make women less inclined to seek healthcare for symptoms connected to sexuality during menopause.

Aim: Describe women's experiences of their sexuality in menopause and the support offered to them by the healthcare systems.

Methodology: The meta-synthesis methodology was chosen to get a deeper understanding of the phenomenon of interest. PubMed, CINAHL and PsycInfo were used for data collection. 21 qualitative research articles coming from Lebanon, Iran, Sweden/Chile, Spain, UK, Ireland, Thailand, Singapore, Australia/Macedonia, US, China, Malaysia and Taiwan, with a total of 610 participants expressing their experiences of sexuality during the menopausal transition were synthesized. This work was informed by an intersectional feminist perspective.

Result: Women expressed a variety of experiences connected to sexuality during their menopausal transition. A woman’s ambition for a continued active sex-life through her transition was influenced by her relationship, her sexual autonomy, and her views on menopause. Many women expressed a lack of support, knowledge, and possible treatments.

Conclusion: Women’s sexual autonomy is essential, and so is increasing menopausal knowledge and healthcare support to enable positive sexual experiences during the menopausal transition.