Global Burden of Non-Neoplastic Gynecological Diseases in Females: A 32-Year Analysis With Projections to 2100

Non-neoplastic gynecological diseases substantially affect women's health and quality of life worldwide, yet comprehensive analyses of their burden remain limited.

Using data from the Global Burden of Disease 2021 study, the prevalence, incidence and disability-adjusted life years of 7 gynecological conditions across 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2021 were estimated. Temporal trends were assessed using joinpoint regression, and decomposition analysis quantified contributions of population growth, aging, and epidemiologic changes. Bayesian age-period-cohort models projected future trends to 2100.

The global age-standardized prevalence declined slightly from 38.5% in 1990 to 37.8% in 2021 (average annual percentage change= -0.058), but the absolute number of cases rose by 55.3% to 1.53 billion. Decomposition analysis attributed this increase mainly to population growth (92.0%) and aging (14.2%), partially offset by epidemiologic improvements (-6.2%). Premenstrual syndrome was the most prevalent condition (24.7%), whereas female infertility and polycystic ovarian syndrome showed the fastest growth (average annual percentage change=0.697 and 0.796). Disease burden varied widely: disability-adjusted life years were highest in North Africa and the Middle East (1112.1 per 100,000) and lowest in high-income Asia Pacific (456.2 per 100,000). Females aged 20-49 years accounted for 68% of disability-adjusted life years. By 2100, prevalent cases are projected to rise by 9.5%, with infertility and polycystic ovarian syndrome increasing by 61.6% and 85.2%, respectively.

Non-neoplastic gynecological diseases pose major public health challenges in low-resource settings, necessitating targeted interventions for rising infertility and polycystic ovarian syndrome. Population growth served as the primary driver of the increased burden of gynecological diseases.