Sexual Functions and Marital Adjustment for Spouses in Menopause

Primary outcomes

1. Descriptive Information Form (DIF)

   Time frame: 3 mounths

   Descriptive Information Form (DIF) was developed by the researcher according to the literature. This form was applied to 20 women who met the inclusion criteria of the research during the pre-application stage and was rearranged in terms of content and language validity (Bozkurt & Sevil, 2016). This form consists of questions to reveal some characteristics of socio-demographic and marital history such as age, education level, employment status, health insurance, monthly total income, marriage age, duration of marriage, and having children. It was composed of 31 questions in total, including questions to reveal some characteristics of menopause and SFs, such as the status and duration of replacement therapy (HRT), post-menopausal sexual problems, and the status of receiving sexual counseling. During the pre-application stage, DIF was applied to 20 women who met the inclusion criteria and was rearranged in terms of scope and language validity.

2. Female Sexual Functioning Scale (FSFS)

   Time frame: 3 mounths

   Female Sexual Functioning Scale (FSFS) is a 19-item scale developed by Rosen et al. (2000) to measure SFs in women in the last 4 weeks. The scale was adapted into Turkish by Aygın and Eti (2005). The Cronbach Alpha Coefficient of the scale is 0.75, and the Cronbach Alpha coefficient for the subscales is between 0.89 and 0.98 (Aygın & Aslan, 2005). In the structure of the scale; There are 6 sub-dimensions: desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, pain or discomfort. Scoring of the answers is between 1-5 points, and not having sexual intercourse in the last 4 weeks is evaluated as 0 points. The highest score that can be obtained from the scale is 95, and the lowest score is 4. After the subscale means are multiplied by the factor loads, the highest score that can be obtained from the scale is 36 and the lowest score is 2. The cut-off point of the scale is 26.55. Those with a score below 26.55 from the scale are considered to be SDs (Aygın & Aslan, 2005).

3. Arizona Sexual Experiences Scale-Male Form (ASES)

   Time frame: 3 mounths

   Arizona Sexual Experiences Scale Male Form (ASES) is a 5-item Likert-type scale developed by McGahuey et al. (2000) to evaluate SFs in men. The scale was adapted into Turkish by Atilla Soykan (2002). The Cronbach's Alpha coefficient of the scale was determined as 0.89 (Soykan, 2004). In the structure of the scale; There are 5 sub-dimensions: arousal, arousal, penile hardening, ability to reach orgasm, and satisfaction from orgasm. Each item is scored between 1-6 and the total score varies between 5 and 30. Low scores indicate enhanced sexual function and high scores indicate SD. The cut-off point of the scale is 11. A score of 11 and above is considered as SD.

4. Marriage Adjustment Scale (MAS)

   Time frame: 3 mounths

   Marriage Adjustment Scale (MAS) is a 15-item Likert-type scale developed by Locke and Wallace (1959) to evaluate marital satisfaction and MA level. It was adapted into Turkish by Tutarel and Kışlak (1999) and the Cronbach's Alpha coefficient was found to be 0.83 for men and 0.84 for women. As the score obtained from the scale increases, MA also increases. Accordingly, the lowest score that can be obtained from the scale is 2, and the highest score is 158. The cut-off point of the scale is 43.5. Those who have a score below 43.5 from the scale are considered to have low MA.