| dc.description.abstract | Background: Menopause is a global issue that affects both developed and
developing countries. Epidemiologically, female sexual dysfunction is quite common,
affecting 25–43% of women, and this percentage increases sharply after menopause.
Sexual function is an important part of a woman‘s life, and low sexual function has
adverse effects on physical and psychological health. Some evidence also suggests a
possible role of vitamin D₃ in the regulation of sexual function. Low vitamin D₃
levels may be associated with sexual disorders; however, this still requires further
investigation as it has been studied very little. This study aimed to determine the
relationship between vitamin D₃ levels and sexual function based on the Female
Sexual Function Index (FSFI) questionnaire in perimenopausal and menopausal
women.
Methods: This study was an observational analytic study with a case-control design
to compare the relationship between vitamin D₃ levels and sexual function in
perimenopausal and menopausal women based on the FSFI questionnaire. The study
involved a total of 34 perimenopausal women and 34 menopausal women selected
using consecutive sampling during the period of July–November 2025.
Results: Statistical analysis included independent T-test/Mann–Whitney,
ANOVA/Kruskal–Wallis, chi-square, and Pearson/Spearman correlation tests with a
significance level of p<0.05. The results showed that the total FSFI score in the
menopausal group was significantly lower than in the perimenopausal group (17.89 ±
7.20 vs median 25.3 [17.4–31.8]; p<0.001), with the prevalence of sexual dysfunction
being 91.2% and 64.7%, respectively (p=0.008). The mean serum vitamin D₃ level
was also lower in menopausal women than in perimenopausal women (21.00 ± 5.19
ng/mL vs 26.21 ± 6.88 ng/mL; p<0.001). Vitamin D₃ deficiency was more frequently
found in the menopausal group (50.0%) compared to the perimenopausal group
(20.6%; p=0.008). The total FSFI score and several main domains (arousal,
lubrication, orgasm, and satisfaction) increased in line with improvement in vitamin
D₃ status, with a strong positive correlation between vitamin D₃ levels and total FSFI
score in both the perimenopausal group (r=0.839; p<0.001) and the menopausal
group (r=0.748; p<0.001). Vitamin D₃ has a strong association with sexual function,
whereas the duration of menopause does not show a significant relationship with
sexual function after considering vitamin D₃ levels in menopausal women.
Conclusion: Vitamin D₃ levels are positively associated with sexual function in
perimenopausal and menopausal women. Vitamin D₃ deficiency and menopausal
status are associated with increased sexual dysfunction; therefore, monitoring and
correction of vitamin D₃ levels have the potential to become an important part of the
management of sexual dysfunction in this population.
Keywords: vitamin D₃, sexual function, FSFI, menopause | en_US |
