279 Nursing Care of the Postmenopausal Woman, 3rd Edition
NURSING RESPONSIBILITY When caring for menopausal women, the nurse is responsible for understand- ing the pathophysiological underpinnings of menopause and obtaining an accurate sexual history. Sexual dysfunction is high- ly prevalent in women during the meno- pause transition and is associated with a lower quality of life. Nurses must remem- ber that individualized care plans that address the physiological, psychological, and psychosocial aspects of menopause are the goal. Addressing a woman’s sexual function from a biopsychosocial approach will provide a better under- standing of her needs. Nurses also must provide education to women regarding various treatment options available to ad- dress their symptoms and concerns. As with most issues in the women’s health arena, when nurses are dealing with sex- uality and menopause, trust, compassion, and knowledge are key to improving pa- tient outcomes. Because it is possible that the wom- an is experiencing depression, the nurse should administer a depression screening tool. The healthcare provider can assess her answers and diagnose whether she does have depression. The provider can then determine the best course of action. The nurse can also encourage the woman to use a water-based vaginal lubricant to assist with vaginal dryness. The woman should be reassured that these concerns are experienced by many women. These difficulties may improve with hormone therapy and time. The nurse can also suggest a referral to a sexual counselor if needed. There are also menopause and vulvar specialists.
35 who smoke should be advised to stop any form of combined hormonal contraception. For women in their 40s, COCs can help lessen the signs and symptoms of perimenopause (FSRH Clinical Effectiveness Unit, 2019). ● Barrier methods . Male condoms, female condoms, diaphragms, cervical caps, spermicide, and natural family planning can be used by women at any age with few contraindications. These methods have high effectiveness rates for women transitioning to menopause due to the decrease in fertility rates in women as they age (Allen et al., 2019). The nurse should remember that the above-mentioned contraceptive types, other than barrier methods, do not pro- tect against sexually transmitted infec- tions, and the nurse should educate the woman on safer sex practices, such as us- ing barrier methods. | NURSING CONSIDERATION Nurses need to understand the various contraceptive choices available for women in their transition to menopause to be able to educate them on available options, to answer questions regarding basic use, and to recognize any side effects that the woman is experiencing.
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