Vulvovaginal symptoms after menopause

Key points

  • Vulvovaginal symptoms are numerous and varied and result from declining oestrogen levels.
  • Investigate any post- menopausal bleeding or malodorous discharge.
  • Management includes lifestyle changes as well as prescription and non-prescription medications.

pdfAMS Vulvovaginal symptoms after menopause408.21 KB

Why is oestrogen important for vaginal health?

What symptoms occur with changes in vaginal health?

Management

Non-prescription treatments:

Prescription treatments:

September 2018

References

  1. 1. Altman A. Postmenopausal dyspareunia—a problem for the 21st century. OBG Management. 2009;3(21):37 - 44.
  2. 2. Foran T. Managing menopausal symptoms. Australian Prescriber. 2010;33:171 – 5.
  3. 3. Bachmann G. Urogenital ageing: an old problem newly recognized. Maturitas. 1995;22 Suppl:S1-s5.
  4. 4. Portman DJ, Gass ML. Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause: New Terminology for Vulvovaginal Atrophy from the International Society for the Study of Women's Sexual Health and The North American Menopause Society. Journal of The Sexual Medicine. 2014.
  5. 5. Raz R. Postmenopausal women with recurrent UTI. International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents. 2001;17(4):269-71.
  1. 6. Raz R, Gennesin Y, Wasser J, Stoler Z, Rosenfeld S, Rottensterich E, et al. Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections in Postmenopausal Women. Clinical Infectious Diseases. 2000;30(1):152-6.
  2. 7. Van der Laak JAWM, de Bie LMT, de Leeuw H, de Wilde PCM, Hanselaar AGJM. The effect of Replens® on vaginal cytology in the treatment of postmenopausal atrophy: cytomorphology versus computerised cytometry. Journal of Clinical Pathology. 2002;55(6):446 – 51.
  3. 8. Caillouette JC, Sharp CF, Jr., Zimmerman GJ, Roy S. Vaginal pH as a marker for bacterial pathogens and menopausal status. American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.176(6):1270-7.
  4. 9. Suckling J, Lethaby A, Kennedy R. Local oestrogen for vaginal atrophy in postmenopausal women. Cochrane

       Database Syst Rev. 2006(4):Cd001500.

  1. 10. Rahn DD, Carberry C, Sanses TV, Mamik MM, Ward RM, Meriwether KV, et al. Vaginal estrogen for genitourinary syndrome of menopause: a systematic review. Obstetrics and gynecology. 2014;124(6):1147-56.
  2. 11. Castelo-Branco C, Cancelo MJ, Villero J, Nohales F, Julia MD. Management of post-menopausal vaginal atrophy and

       atrophic vaginitis. Maturitas. 2005;52 Suppl 1:S46-52.

  1. 12. Reid R, Abramson BL, Blake J, Desindes S, Dodin S, Johnston S, et al. Managing menopause. Journal of obstetrics and gynaecology Canada. 2014;36(9):830-3.

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Content created September 2018

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