Relationship between personality traits and sexual function in symptomatic postmenopausal women

•Personality traits may influence general health and many aspects of quality of life, including sexuality.•Female sexual disorders are very common at midlife and many psychosocial variables are involved, along with biomedical factors.•Harm avoidance, a serotonin-dependent personality trait, is significantly present in midlife women with sexual disorders.•Harm avoidance significantly mediates the relationship between mood (anxiety and depression) and sexual function.•Neuroendocrine balance may be relevant to the clinical expression of sexual disorders at menopause.•Other behavioral and social factors may also play a role and deserve further attention.