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This study aims to understand Saudi women's experiences of sexual and relational changes during the menopause transition.
A qualitative, Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis study.
Sixteen Saudi women aged 45–57 who had experienced natural menopause transition were purposively selected and interviewed using semi-structured interviews between December 2022 and March 2023. The interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Participants were recruited from several sites, including hospitals, gender-segregated schools employing female staff, and social media channels. The data were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis.
Three group experiential themes were identified from the data. These included ‘The intimate relationship while going through menopause’, which explores women's experiences of intimate relationships shaped by biological and hormonal changes, cultural and social expectations, and psychological influences; ‘Perceived attractiveness and self-confidence’, which describes how physical signs of ageing impact women's body image and self-confidence; and ‘Managing the sexual changes during the menopause transition’, which highlights varied coping strategies and attitudes toward seeking support for sexual changes during menopause.
Healthcare systems in Saudi Arabia must provide comprehensive menopausal care and train nurses and healthcare providers to consider women's sexual difficulties from a biopsychosocial perspective. Raising Saudi women's awareness of menopausal and sexual issues, as well as mitigating society's stereotypes, is crucial for empowering them to seek help.
Understanding how menopausal women experience sexual and relational changes during their menopause transition is crucial for nurses, as it enables them to provide appropriate care that supports both physical and emotional well-being. As nurses recognise these experiences, they can offer guidance, reduce stigma, and enhance women's quality of life.
The study adhered to the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research.
No Patient or Public Involvement.
The aim of this literature review was to explore women's experiences of their intimate and sexual relationships during menopause.
Evidence shows that the menopause transition can be a difficult time for women due to symptoms of menopause. There is little research evidence about how menopause-related symptoms impact women's intimate and sexual relationships.
A qualitative synthesis was carried out on research published between May 2005 and July 2023 using five electronic databases: ASSIA, CINAHL, PubMed, PsycINFO and Web of Science. We also searched Google Scholar and used backward and forward chaining methods to identify results not listed in the databases and ensure that no relevant literature was omitted.
Eighteen qualitative studies were included in this review. Six main themes were identified: the meaning of menopause to women in different cultures; factors affecting women's sexual lives; changes in sexual desire and orgasm; talking about sexual issues; women's attempts to overcome the impact of ageing and menopause on their sexual lives; and concerns about partner sexual satisfaction during the menopause.
During the menopause transition, women can experience sexual difficulties that have an impact on their lives and intimate relationships. Qualitative studies showed that sexual changes associated with menopause can be difficult to manage and must be viewed in the social and cultural contexts of the women's lives.
The results of this review will be of interest to nurses to assess patient needs while offering health services to women in menopause. In addition, the results can be used to inform education and support programmes for women.
We have adhered to relevant EQUATOR guidelines and used the PRISMA-ScR reporting method. No patient or public contribution was required for this study.
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