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The aim of this study was to assess US postmenopausal women's knowledge of and attitudes toward vaginal atrophy, using the Vaginal Health: Insights, ViewsAttitudes survey.Data were obtained from 3,520 postmenopausal women (aged 55-65 y) in the United States, Canada, and Europe using a structured Internet-based questionnaire. Results for US women (n = 500) are presented.Eighty percent of women had finished their menses more than 5 years previously, and 93% had experienced at least one menopausal symptom, although only 63% associated vaginal symptoms with menopause. Of those who had experienced "vaginal discomfort" (48%), vaginal dryness (85%) and pain during intercourse (52%) were most commonly reported. Eighty-two percent of women had experienced vaginal discomfort for 1 year or more. Most women (80%) considered vaginal discomfort to negatively impact their lives, particularly with regard to sexual intimacy (75%), ability to have a loving relationship (33%), and overall quality of life (25%); women also felt that it made them feel old (36%) and affected their self-esteem (26%). Of those with symptoms, 37% did not consult any healthcare professional, and 40% waited 1 year or more before doing so. Although 78% of those with vaginal discomfort used some form of treatment, this consisted mainly of lubricating gels and creams (65%); only 34% of women had used any form of hormone therapy.Vaginal atrophy negatively impacts women's lives, but women lack knowledge of the subject and are hesitant to consult healthcare professionals, who should proactively initiate discussions regarding appropriate treatment options.

Continuous combined hormone replacement therapy (HRT) with 0.5 mg 17β-estradiol (E2) + 0.1 mg norethisterone acetate (NETA) received marketing approval based on 24-week results. The current study collected data up to 52 weeks, including consideration of bleeding, a major reason for stopping HRT.This 52-week (13 lunar-month), non-interventional, prospective study involved 169 women from Norway and Sweden receiving daily oral 0.5 mg E2 + 0.1 mg NETA to treat menopausal symptoms. Incidences and cumulative rates of amenorrhea (no bleeding or spotting) and no bleeding (women could have spotting) were evaluated, together with hot flushes and quality of life.Overall,78% and90% of subjects were amenorrheic or had no bleeding, respectively, in each of the first 3 lunar months, while88% and96% were amenorrheic or had no bleeding, respectively, in each of lunar months 10, 11 and 12. Cumulative rates of amenorrhea and no bleeding were 67% and 83%, respectively, in lunar months 1-3, and 84% and 94%, respectively, in lunar months 10-12. The number of hot flushes declined during treatment (means at weeks 1, 12 and 52, respectively: 15.5, 5.0 and 4.1 [mild]; 19.0, 3.0 and 2.3 [moderate]; 10.8, 1.1 and 0.9 [severe]). Improvement in all four domains of the Menopause-Specific Quality of Life-Intervention questionnaire (vasomotor, psychosocial, physical and sexual) was evident by week 26.For women receiving 0.5 mg E2 + 0.1 mg NETA, lack of bleeding-related side-effects, together with beneficial effects on hot flush symptoms and quality of life, may promote treatment continuance.

With increasing longevity in Poland, women can now expect to live around 40% of their lives after menopause, and there is a growing desire for older women to preserve their vitality sexual function and quality of life. The most common urogenital symptoms associated with menopause are dryness, followed by irritation or itching, and discharge, with a substantial number of post-menopausal women also being affected by dysuria. These symptoms are the result of vaginal atrophy which is in turn caused by reduced transudation through the vaginal epithelium and reduced cervical gland secretions resulting from post-menopausal estrogen depletion. Vaginal atrophy generally occurs 4-5 years after the last menstrual period and progressively increases in prevalence in the subsequent years. Importantly vaginal atrophy is strongly associated with sexual dysfunction, and lower urinary tract symptoms, such as frequency urgency nocturia and dysuria, as well as incontinence and recurrent infection are reported more frequently in the presence of vaginal atrophy Those symptoms, apart from being bothersome for the patients also negatively impact their quality of life. Consequently before irreversible changes occur, early detection and treatment of vaginal atrophy should be implemented. Estrogen therapy is the most commonly prescribed treatment. Estrogens restore the cytology pH and vascularity of the vagina, resulting in symptom resolution for the majority of treated women. Because vaginal atrophy symptoms tend to occur later than vasomotor symptoms, many women do not necessarily require or wish to take systemic estrogen treatment if their symptoms are restricted to the urogenital tract. Vaginal estrogen products deliver estrogen locally to vaginal tissues with little or no systemic absorption and provide an effective alternative to systemic estrogen therapy for these women. Various vaginal estrogen preparations such as conjugated equine estrogens, estradiol and estriol vaginal creams, a sustained-release intra-vaginal estradiol ring and a low-dose estradiol and estriol tablets are useful therapeutic options in the treatment of this condition. Moreover; a low dose treatment with a minimised systemic absorption rate may be considered in women with a history of breast cancer and associated severe vulvovaginal atrophy. It should be mentioned that vaginal lubricants once applied on a regular basis may also be effective in alleviating the symptoms of vaginal atrophy and should be offered to women wishing to avoid the use of local vaginal estrogen preparations and in cases where local estrogen therapy is contraindicated. Vaginal dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), vaginal testosterone, and tissue selective estrogen complexes are new, emerging therapies; however more clinical studies are necessary to confirm their efficacy and safety in the treatment of postmenopausal vulvovaginal atrophy.

Objectives To consider issues relating to vaginal atrophy via an international survey. Methods Using a structured questionnaire, interviews were performed on 4246 women aged 55–65 years living in Sweden, Finland, the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada. Results Overall, 98% of survey respondents were postmenopausal. Thirty-nine percent of the postmenopausal women had experienced vaginal atrophy, with the prevalence varying between countries, from 34% in Canada to 43% in Finland and the United States. Attitudes towards symptoms also varied between countries. Symptoms were described as moderate or severe by less than half of women from Finland and Sweden, compared with nearly two-thirds of women from the United States. However, vaginal atrophy was deemed to impact on quality of life by a higher proportion of women in Finland and Sweden (≥60%) than in the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada (≤50%). Overall, 77% of respondents believed women were uncomfortable discussing vaginal atrophy and 42% did not know that local treatment was available. The proportions of women unaware of the availability of local treatment were higher in the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada (51%, 50% and 48%, respectively), and very low in Finland (10%). Whilst 63% of women who had experienced vaginal atrophy had never been prescribed treatment for the condition, 67% of those who had been treated reported positive effects. Conclusion The survey results illustrate differing needs of menopausal women in different countries. Country-specific approaches may be required to improve the uptake of treatment for vaginal atrophy.