1. Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause: Prevalence and Predictors.
- Author
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WOODS, NANCY F., SHAVER, JOAN F., and BERG, JUDITH A.
- Subjects
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MENOPAUSE , *RISK assessment , *LANGUAGE & languages , *GENITOURINARY diseases , *CULTURE , *ESTROGEN , *DISEASE prevalence , *AGING , *SYMPTOMS ,RISK factors - Abstract
The genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) has been proposed as a diagnosis by a consensus of clinicians and investigators. Our purpose for this paper is to review extant evidence about: 1) the breadth of symptoms and symptom clusters as related to the syndrome; 2) the prevalence of GSM (includes vulvar and vaginal atrophy); 3) factors that are associated with, predict, or explain the syndrome; and 4) what should be pursued for expanding meaningful evidence. Within recent literature, we found a wide range of prevalence estimates, likely a function of the differing populations studied, study design, and methods of data collection. Factors related to the prevalence of GSM included age and aging; reproductive aging stage; hormones, especially estrogen; and culture and language. We recommend further specification of diagnostic criteria for GSM; clarification of urinary symptoms in GSM; use of longitudinal study designs; validation of GSM-related measures; exploration of cultural equivalence of GSMmeasures; and assessing biases in completed research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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