Thai postmenopausal woman's view in genitourinary syndrome of menopause.

OBJECTIVES

To determine the prevalence of genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) and their awareness, attitudes, and perception of this issue.

STUDY

DESIGN

Using a specifically designed questionnaire, interviews were performed on 500 Thai postmenopausal women who attended at Vajira Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand, from August 2021 to April 2022.

RESULTS

The mean age of the 500 participants was 60.39 ± 8.12 years. The prevalence of GSM was 47.2%. The common symptoms affected by GSM were vaginal dryness (38.5%), urinary urgency (24.6%), dyspareunia (13.6%), vaginal irritation (10.2%), vaginal burning (7.2%), and dysuria (5.9%). One-half of the women were uncomfortable talking about GSM. Three-quarters who did not reveal GSM symptoms believed that the problem was a part of aging. Only 20.3% of women who suffer from symptoms consulted a health care provider (HCP). Of the women who had been prescribed treatment, 84.6% of these women reported better quality of life.

CONCLUSIONS

GSM is a meaningful decrement in quality of life. Most Thai postmenopausal women who had symptoms believed that the problem was the aging process. Awareness of GSM and available treatment would be a further benefit.