Abstract:
The objective of the study is to investigate sexual relationships among menopausal
Muslim women and the factors that impact on their sexualities. The sample consists of 100
menopausal Muslim women in a rural community of southern Thailand. The tools of the
study were a structured questionnaire and in-depth interview. Data were collected by using
quantitative and qualitative methods.The study was intended to analyzed data from statistics
of percentage; average; and standard deviation, Chi-Square test, and one-way analysis of
variance were used as in the former method and content analysis in the latter one.
The study found that 47 years old was the average age of the informants and they
had mostly earned elementary certificates. These women had low sexual desire ;having sex
with their husbands 2-3 times per month. The informants felt happy after having sex.
Women have to be patient if they gain experience from sexual intercourse. The informants
have negotiated with their husbands to postpone sex when they are not ready for have sex.
The reason for sexual negotiation is tiredness and more than 50% of men accepted the
negotiation. Laying down together without sex is the pattern of sexual relationship that
menopausal Muslim women preferred. Most of them do not any use contraceptive method.
They feel comfortable with their own birth controls. Women do not worry about STDs
and/or HIV infections from their husbands. Body image factor influenced the sexuality.
Religion, social, and cultural factors have highly affected sexual relations among Muslim
women. These bring about a medium of prevention and control levels of sexually
transmitted diseases. Age is another factor for women who have a lower frequency of sex.
This implies the pattern of living with husbands has changed.
The study showed that sexual relationships among menopausal Muslim women are
different from other groups of women. The idea of Islamic principle and its regulations
become a main factor for Muslim men and women in having sex.