Genitourinary syndrome of menopause in Chinese perimenopausal and postmenopausal women

The aim of this study was to investigate genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) in a large cohort, analyzing the dependency on age and menopausal status and possible differences between non-hysterectomized and hysterectomized women.

Data were assessed by validated questionnaires, collected over 2 years for all eligible women attending our 'Menopause Clinic' from 31 Chinese provinces. Simple and unconditional logistic regression analysis was used with adjustments by all analyzed factors.

A total of 4063 women (mean age 50.53 ± 6.57 years), 2107 perimenopausal and 1956 postmenopausal, were included. Almost all GSM symptoms were more frequent and severe in postmenopausal women. GSM was more frequent in hysterectomized women compared to non-hysterectomized women. Independent of menopausal status, low sexual interest (92.78%), urinary incontinence (91.65%) and vaginal dryness (91.60%) were the top three GSM symptoms. Most severe were low sexual interest (21.01%), vaginal pain (20.10%) and decreased sexual pleasure (17.13%). Prevalence and severity of GSM were not related to age, but were related to menopausal status and increased with time since menopause.

Within 2 years, more than 4000 women with GSM traveled from all over China to our specialized clinic, indicating the great importance of GSM. Hysterectomy can increase the risk of GSM, and GSM symptoms increase from perimenopause to postmenopause and with an increase of time since menopause, pointing to the dependency on the loss of ovarian function.