Study: Few menopausal women talking about vaginal health with their docs

Many menopausal women experience symptoms involving their vagina, but neither they nor their doctors bring it up. — AFP

A new study presented at the 2019 annual meeting of the North American Menopause Society held in Chicago, US, shows that menopausal women discuss their vaginal health very rarely during their medical appointments. Medical personnel themselves seem even less at ease with the subject.

The research concerned 1,500 menopausal women. Among them, nearly half (45%) reported experiencing vaginal itching, dryness or abnormal odour. These symptoms are typical of the genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM). However, only 39% dared to speak to their doctor about it.