New York, Jan 7 (IANS): Ladies, if you have a greater number of lifetime sexual partners, theres good news for you. A new study has revealed that such women are less likely to experience sexual dysfunction in life.

In contrast, women with more anxious behaviour during sexual activities and those with more severe menopause symptoms were more at risk for sexual dysfunction, the researchers noted.

According to them, sexual dysfunction often accompanies the menopause transition. Yet, not all women experience it the same.

The new study, published in Menopause: The Journal of the North American Menopause Society (NAMS), identified the determinants that affect a woman's risk of sexual dysfunction and sought to determine the effectiveness of hormone therapy in decreasing that risk and modifying sexual behaviour.

These results are consistent with the findings of prior studies.

The results "emphasize that factors other than the use of hormone therapy, such as higher importance of sex, positive attitudes toward sex, satisfaction with one's partner and fewer genitourinary symptoms associated with menopause appear to be protective and are linked to better sexual function across the menopause transition," said researcher Stephanie Faubion, Medical Directorof North American Menopause Society (NAMS), Ohio.

For the study, the researchers involved more than 200 women aged between 45 to 55 years.

Hormone therapy was not found to mitigate the risk of sexual dysfunction, nor did it play a major role in determining sexual behaviours.

However, women using hormone therapy typically had higher body-esteem during sexual activities; better sexual function in all domains, except for desire/interest; better quality of relationships; and fewer sexual complaints (other than arousal problems) than those women who do not.

Of importance to helping maintain a woman's sexual function were positive sexual experiences, attitudes about sex, body image, and relationship intimacy, the study noted.