Nursing Care of the Postmenopausal Woman, 3rd Edition
266
COURSE OVERVIEW This course describes the changes that a postmenopausal woman experiences in various aspects of her life, including physiologic and psychologic changes. It provides the learner with information regarding alterations to a woman’s sexual self after menopause, periodic screenings needed to reduce the mortality and morbidity of aging women, and a review of how a woman’s health is affected as she ages.
COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES ● Describe female sexuality during menopause. ● Differentiate between primordial, primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary prevention. ● Summarize the various screening tests for women at midlife and beyond. INTRODUCTION Most women think of menopause in terms of the signs and symptoms they will experience physically, but few women know of or consider the psychosocial and developmental changes that also occur after menopause. This course describes the changes that a postmenopausal wom-
● Discuss potential health difficulties experienced by aging women. ● Outline the role of nurses in the care of aging women.
an experiences in various aspects of her life, including physiologic and psycholog- ic changes. It provides the learner with in- formation regarding alterations to a wom- an’s sexual self after menopause, periodic screenings needed to reduce the mortali- ty and morbidity of middle-aged women, and a review of how a woman’s health is affected as she ages.
CHAPTER 1: SEXUALITY IN WOMEN
Learning outcome After completing this chapter, the learner will be able to: Interpret the psychological processes inherent in sexual arousal. Summarize the stages of sexual arousal. Discuss the psychological issues that accompany the menopausal transition. Interpret common physical symptoms associated with sexual dysfunction after menopause. Describe the components of a sexual history. Describe issues related to contraception after menopause.
INTRODUCTION This chapter explores various aspects of sexuality in menopausal women. A thor- ough review of the physiological process- es is presented. Psychosocial factors that influence sexual health are explored. The proper manner to approach a sexual his- tory is outlined. Nursing responsibilities related to caring for menopausal women include treatment plans, referral options, and knowledge of female sexuality. SEXUALITY IN WOMEN Sexuality is a broad concept that covers sex, sexual desire, sexual response, and sexual/gender identity and roles, sexual orientation, eroticism, pleasure, intima-
Powered by FlippingBook