Zahra Yazdanpanahi - Community Based Psychiatric Care Research Center, Department of Midwifery, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
Marzieh Nikkholgh - Community Based Psychiatric Care Research Center, Department of Midwifery, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
Marzieh Akbarzadeh - Maternal - Fetal Medicine Research Center, Department of Midwifery, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
Azita Jaberi - Community Based Psychiatric Care Research Center, Department of Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran

BACKGROUND: Menopause is associated with decreased sexual activity and a feeling of decreased attractiveness and sexual potency. This study tested the hypothesis that sexual health in postmenopausal women is not the same as nonmenopausal women with regard to marital satisfaction MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 12 health centers in Shiraz; 310 postmenopausal women included by convenient sampling. Data were collected through the Female Sexual Function Index, and spannier marital satisfaction questionnaires. Analysis performed using SPSS version 18 and included descriptive statistics, Chi-square, and Pearson correlation; p < 0.05was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The percentage of women with sexual dysfunction in the present study was 88.7%. There was a significant relationship between marital satisfaction and sexual function (p= 0.01). Furthermore there was a significant relationship between 4 domains of Female Sexual Function Index and marital satisfaction. Sexual desire (p<0.001), sexual tendency (p<0.001), orgasm (p<0.001), and sexual satisfaction (p<0.001). while there was no significant relationship between 2 domains of Female Sexual Function Index and marital satisfaction. Sexual lubrication (p=0.1) and pain (p=0.21). Pearson correlation coefficient showed that there was a straight relationship between marital satisfaction and sexual function (0.389), Sexual desire (0.284), sexual tendency (0.290), orgasm (0.314), and sexual satisfaction (0.456).. CONCLUSION: This study showed that there is an association of the status of marital satisfaction and sexual function in post-menopausal women. However, more studies should be carried out to find the confounders

marital satisfaction, Iran, menopause, sexual function