The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of pelvic floor muscle exercise using electric stimulation and biofeedback on maximum pressure of vaginal contraction, vaginal contraction duration and sexual function in women who have had vaginal rejuvenation.

The research design was a non-equivalent control group non-synchronized design study. Participants in this study were women who had vaginal rejuvenation at C obstetrics and gynecology hospital. The 15 participants in the experimental group were given pelvic floor muscle exercise using electric stimulation and biofeedback and the 15 participants in the control group received self pelvic floor muscle exercise.

For maximum pressure of vaginal contraction, the experimental group showed a statistically significant increase compared to than the control group (t=5.96, p<.001). For vaginal contraction duration, the experimental group also showed a statistically significant increase compared to the control group (t=3.23, p=.003). For women's sexual function, the experimental group showed a significant increase when compared to the control group in total sexual function scores (t=3.41, p=.002).

The results indicate that pelvic floor muscle exercise with electric stimulation and biofeedback after vaginal rejuvenation is effective in strengthening vaginal contraction pressure, vaginal contraction and that it also positively functions to increase women's sexual function.

This study was designed to construct and test a structural equation model on sexual function in women with gynecologic cancer.

The model was constructed and tested under the hypotheses that women's physical changes in sexual function after gynecologic cancer treatment did not automatically lead to sexual dysfunctions. Women's psychosocial factors were considered to be mediating variables. Two hundred twelve women with cervical, ovarian, and endometrial cancer were recruited and asked to complete a survey on their physical factors, psychosocial factors and sexual function. Data was analyzed using SPSS WIN 12.0 and Amos WIN 5.0.

Predictors of sexual function in the final model were sexual attitude affected by physical distress and couple's age, sexual information affected by physical distress and couple's age, depression affected by physical distress, and marital intimacy affected by physical distress. Tumor stage and time since last treatment directly affected women's sexual function without any mediating psychosocial variables. However, body image did not affect women's sexual function.

Nursing professionals should develop a tailored educational program integrating both physical and psychosocial aspects, and apply it to women and their spouses in order to promote sexual function in women with gynecologic cancer.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influences of health perception, body image and sexual function on depression according to the menopausal stage in Korean middle aged women.

Subjects were 182 perimenopausal and postmenopausal women who had not received hormonal replacement therapy. A five-item General HealthShort Form (SF-36) Health Survey Questionnaire (Ware & Sherbourne, 1992) was used to measure health perception. Body image was measured Semantic Differential scale, CES-D was used to measure the level of depression, and sexual function was measured by FSFI.

The subjects rated their health as ‘moderate’, their body image as ‘moderate, and level of depression as ‘high’. However, there were no significant differences in health perception, body image, and depression between perimenopasual and postmenopausal women. Postmenopausal women experienced lower levels of sexual function than perimenopausal women in sexual arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain. In stepwise regression analysis, 21.7% of variance in depression was shown to be perceived health and body image in postmenopausal women. However, in perimenopausal women, perceived health and sexual function explained 34.5% of variance in depression.

These findings indicate that nurses must consider the menopasusal stage when counseling their patients.