Abstract
Low sexual desire, or decreased libido, is one of the most prevalent sexual complaints in females
and is particularly common during menopausal transition (West et al., 2008:1441). Menopause is
defined as the physiologic cessation of menses brought on by a decrease in ovarian function and
is established once menses has been absent for at least 12 months. Perimenopause refers to the
period shortly before as well as the 12 months after the last menstrual period. The duration of
perimenopause varies greatly and signs and symptoms usually begin appearing during a woman’s
40s (Hendrix, 2011:2518). A longitudinal study conducted in Seattle showed that women
experience a significant reduction in sexual desire during the late perimenopausal and early
postmenopausal stages, with the biggest decline in sexual desire occurring from three years prior
to two years after the final menstrual period (Woods et al., 2010:214). Despite being a prevalent
female complaint, currently no standard treatment for low sexual desire exists. Homeopathy may
offer a safe and effective solution for this common problem, however limited research has been
conducted to date.
The aim of this study was to explore the effect of individualised homeopathic treatment on low
sexual desire in perimenopausal females using detailed descriptive case studies, the desire and
arousal subscales of the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) as well as Item 13 of the Female
Sexual Distress Scale - Revised (FSDS-R).
Thirteen perimenopausal females, aged 40-60 years, with low sexual desire were recruited via
advertisements placed at the University of Johannesburg Doornfontein Campus, in local
newspapers in Kempton Park and Edenvale, and at pharmacies and health shops in the Benoni area
after relevant permission was obtained. This descriptive case study design took place at the UJ
Homeopathic Health Centre, Doornfontein Campus, over a period of 12 weeks and consisted of
four consultations per participant at four week intervals. Volunteers signed the Participant
Information and Consent Form before the start of the initial consultation and completed a screening
questionnaire in order to determine whether they met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. A
complete case history was taken for each participant using a detailed homeopathic case-taking
form. All consultations were supervised by a qualified homeopathic practitioner. Participants
completed the relevant FSFI subscales and Item 13 of the FSDS-R at each consultation. The
appropriate individualised homeopathic remedy for each participant was selected using Mercurius
Repertorisation Software Complete Repertory 2014. A single individualised homeopathic remedy
was administered to each participant...
M.Tech. (Homoeopathy)