Childhood trauma, ranging from parental divorces to family drug problems, can have enduring repercussions on women’s sexual health later in life, according to a recent study.
The study suggests that adverse childhood experiences may correlate with sexual inactivity and dysfunction in adult women, underscoring the importance of healthcare providers screening patients with sexual health issues for such childhood experiences.
Dr. Ekta Kapoor, senior author and assistant director of the Mayo Clinic Center for Women’s Health in Rochester, Minn., emphasized the significance of this research, stating, “Sexual dysfunction has a significant impact on a woman’s quality of life.” Kapoor added that healthcare providers should screen women with sexual dysfunction for adverse childhood experiences and consider offering comprehensive treatment, including counseling referrals. Neglecting the consequences of childhood adversity might hinder the effectiveness of interventions aimed at improving sexual function.
The study encompassed over 1,500 women aged 40 to 65 who sought services at the Menopause and Women’s Sexual Health Clinic at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota between 2015 and 2016. These women had concerns related to menopause and sexual health.
Before their clinic visit, participants completed a survey covering various aspects, including adverse childhood experiences, sexual function, recent abuse, mood, anxiety, menopause symptoms, and relationship satisfaction. This data was then included in a Mayo Clinic women’s health registry.
Approximately one in three children undergo at least one stressful or traumatic childhood experience, as indicated by the National Survey of Children’s Health.
The researchers in this study explored the connections between these childhood experiences and later sexual dysfunction. Traumatic experiences were defined as physical, emotional, or sexual abuse, as well as growing up in households marked by violence, drug use, mental health issues, or insecurity stemming from parental separation, divorce, or incarceration.
The findings revealed that women who had experienced four or more adverse childhood experiences were nearly twice as likely to be sexually inactive compared to those without such childhood adversity. Additionally, they were twice as likely to experience sexual dysfunction in midlife. Sexual dysfunction encompassed persistent issues related to desire, arousal, lubrication, satisfaction, orgasm, and/or sexual pain.
Dr. Mariam Saadedine, the study’s first author and a research fellow at Mayo Clinic in Florida, pointed out that this correlation appeared independent of other factors that affect female sexual function, such as age, menopause status, hormone therapy use, anxiety, depression, marital satisfaction, and recent abuse.
The authors suggest that further research should encompass a more diverse group of women, including those from lower economic backgrounds and those with limited access to healthcare.
The study’s findings were recently published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine.
