Menopausal Women Can Improve Sexual Function with Probiotics

Hormonal changes at menopause lead to many well-known symptoms. A

common, but less discussed one, is sexual function. A surprising solution may

come from probiotics.

Female Sexual Dysfunction encompasses changes in sexual desire, arousal,

orgasm and pain. It is experienced by 68%-86.5% of menopausal women.

Recent research has revealed surprising evidence that probiotics influence

estrogen metabolism and can actually alleviate menopause symptoms without

the adverse effects of hormone therapy (Post Reprod Health. 2025 May

7;31(2):105–114). Lactobacillus species of probiotics are beneficial for the female

reproductive tract, but their population plummets at menopause. Could

supplementing it help the sexual symptoms of menopause? A new double-blind

study set out to see.

59 premenopausal and menopausal women with sexual dysfunction were divided

into two groups. One got a placebo while the other took Lactobacillus

acidophilus for 8 weeks.

The main measurement was the female sexual function index (FSFI). The higher

the score, the better the sexual function. Scores in the placebo group were

virtually unchanged, moving from 18.0 to 18.2. But in the probiotic group, scores

improved from 16.5 to 19.1. The advantage for the probiotic was both statistically

and clinically significant. The probiotic group experienced significant

improvement compared to placebo in sexual desire, arousal and satisfaction.

The researchers also wanted to measure the effect of probiotics on menopause-

specific quality of life. To measure that, they used the Menopause Quality of Life

(MENQoL) questionnaire. The higher the score, the worse the menopausal

symptoms and the lower the quality of life. So, on this scale, we’re aiming for a

low score. The placebo failed to do that, lowering scores only from 31.5 to 30.9.

But the probiotic succeeded, dropping scores from 31.6 to 25.1. Again, the

advantage was significant both statistically and clinically. In the sexual domain,

the placebo had no effect, while the probiotic lowered the score from 4.0 to 2.0.

This surprising study suggests that probiotics can improve sexual function and

quality of life for menopausal women. This is an important discovery, since

probiotics are non-hormonal and safe.

Sci Rep. 2026;16:1254.