Urogenital symptoms in postmenopausal women: a hospital-based prevalence study

Objectives. To determine the prevalence of urogenital symptoms (vaginal dryness, dyspareunia, urinary incontinence) and assess patient’s consultation rate and desire for treatment. Design and Methods. This study was prospective descriptive study, performed with the participation of 125 women who presented in menopausal clinic, Srinagarind Hospital. Women completed the questionnaire including questions about their demographic properties and were interviewed by pre-validated questionnaire and in-depth interview to determine the prevalence of urogenital symptoms, consultation rate and patient’s desire for treatment. Results. The mean age of the participants was 57.1 years. Vaginal dryness was found to be the most common postmenopausal urogenital symptoms (71.2%), followed by urinary incontinence (62.4%) and dyspareunia (52.0%). The consultation rates were 62.2% in vaginal dryness, 46.2% in dyspareunia and 38.5% in urinary incontinence. Patient’s desire for treatment was 66.7% in vaginal dryness, 62.1% in dyspareunia and 53.8% in urinary incontinence. Conclusions. Urogenital symptoms are highly prevalent. Physicians need to improve patient-physician communication and increase their attention to these symptoms and their patient’s attitudes to improve patient’s quality of life.