PROVIDENCE – Dr. John E. Buster, associate director of the Center for Reproduction and Infertility at Women & Infants Hospital, recently published an essay urging the nation’s physicians to open the dialogue with their post-menopausal patients regarding sexual satisfaction.

The article, “Sex and the 50-Something Woman: Strategies for Restoring Satisfaction,” was published in the journal Contemporary Obstetrics and Gynecology. It focused on the causes of what is called female sexual dysfunction and simple interventions that physicians can recommend as solutions.

“Female sexual dysfunction affects many women after menopause, lowering their sexual desire, affecting their sexual function and even causing pain,” Buster said. “The impact is subtle but can be insidious.”

In general, research has shown that approximately 45 precent of all women experience a sexual problem, including 39 percent who reported lower sexual desire. As women go through menopause, there are biological reasons for sexual issues, largely due to lower production of the hormones estrogen or androgen. •