symptomatic women with GSM, whereas 2% to 5% offered O nly a few years ago, topics such as female sexual health were not commonly discussed, let alone sensitive and personal… Click to show full abstract
symptomatic women with GSM, whereas 2% to 5% offered O nly a few years ago, topics such as female sexual health were not commonly discussed, let alone sensitive and personal issues such as vaginal dryness and sexual pain which commonly occur as a result of menopause. In fact, looking back 25 years ago at the sexual healthrelated publications in Menopause, Gassman and Santoro called attention to the deficits in research on sexuality in menopause in their 1994 publication. Fortunately, we are now in a time when there is more of a public dialogue about female sexual health, and conversations are starting to occur between clinicians and their female patients. One would, however, be hard-pressed to come across a television advertisement for a treatment for vaginal dryness despite the ubiquity of those for erectile dysfunction and urinary incontinence treatments. The genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) is a disorder that impacts postmenopausal women and is characterized by vaginal dryness, burning, itching, and discomfort, often leading to pain with intercourse, as well as urinary symptoms including dysuria and urgency. Estrogen deficiency contributes to anatomical changes in the labia, urethra, bladder, and vagina that precipitate the symptoms. Reported by as many as 84% of women, the symptoms often persist or progress beyond menopause, impacting sexual function, interpersonal relationships, emotional well-being, and quality of life. There are, however, multiple safe and effective treatments for GSM. Despite being a common disorder with effective treatment options, many women with GSM remain undiagnosed and untreated. A recent study examining provider attitudes and behaviors found that even though a majority surveyed were comfortable prescribing low-dose vaginal estrogen, 13% to 15% of physicians did not recommend treatment to
               
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