Female sexual dysfunction (FSD): Prevalence and impact on quality of life (QoL)

•Female sexual dysfunction (FSD) and quality of life (QOL) are both multidimensional and have a bidirectional relationship across life span.•Methodological difficulties exist in estimating the real prevalence of FSD on a large scale.•Approximately 40–50% women, irrespective of age, report at least a sexual symptom.•Some conditions related to hormonal changes at menopause, such as vulvovaginal atrophy (VVA) and hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD), have a significant impact on sexual function and QOL.•Health care providers (HCPs) should proactively address sexual symptoms at midlife and in older women. Adequate counselling and tailored hormonal and non-hormonal therapies may be useful to relieve distressful symptoms.