Beyond Reproduction: Addressing Sexual Health, Needs, Barriers, and Policy Gaps in Aging Women

As global populations age, the health needs of older women are becoming increasingly significant yet remain insufficiently addressed in research, policy, and clinical practice. While reproductive health has been a central focus in women’s health, much less attention is paid to the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) of women beyond their reproductive years. Post-menopausal women continue to experience important SRH-related concerns—ranging from sexual dysfunction and chronic disease interactions to unmet needs for information, services, and emotional support. These challenges are compounded by stigma, provider bias, and structural ageism. Despite growing global recognition of healthy aging, the sexual health of aging women is often sidelined, especially in culturally conservative or resource-limited settings. Bridging this knowledge and service gap is crucial to ensuring gender-sensitive, age-inclusive, and rights-based approaches to women’s health throughout the life course.



This Research Topic aims to deepen and expand scientific understanding of the sexual health needs, challenges, and policy barriers faced by aging women globally. It seeks to bring visibility to women’s post-reproductive sexual well-being, with a focus on health system responses, social stigma, autonomy, and quality of care. We invite interdisciplinary contributions that explore biological, psychological, social, and systemic determinants of SRH in later life. Topics may include menopause-related transitions, chronic disease intersections, digital access to SRH care, and cross-cultural variations in service availability and use. The collection also aims to examine existing gaps in policy and healthcare delivery, offering strategies to advance equity and inclusion. The goal is to build an evidence base that informs responsive and comprehensive frameworks for women’s health beyond reproduction—aligned with SDG 3 (health and well-being) and SDG 5 (gender equality).


Topics of interest include but are not limited to:

• Menopausal transitions and their impact on women’s physical, emotional, and sexual health

• Chronic disease burden and sexual dysfunction in post-menopausal women

• Psychosocial effects of widowhood, caregiving, and isolation on aging women’s intimacy

• Women’s autonomy and sexual agency in the post-reproductive life stage

• Cultural stigma and gendered ageism in women’s later-life sexuality

• SRH service access and utilization among older women

• Digital health and telemedicine for aging women’s SRH needs

• Health system and policy responses to post-menopausal women’s SRH

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Classification
• Clinical Trial
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Classification
• Clinical Trial
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Study Protocol
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: older women, aging in women, menopause, widowhood, post-menopause

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.