Abstract:
The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of urogenital symptoms in non-institutionalized Dutch women aged 50–75 years, and the degree of discomfort suffered as a result. A questionnaire was sent to 2157 women, a sample representative of the female population aged 50–75 years with respect to age, marital status, level of education and menopausal age. The usable response was 81.6% (n= 1761). The overall prevalence of vaginal dryness, soreness and dyspareunia was 27%. The prevalence of micturition symptoms, urinary incontinence and recurrent urinary tract infection was 36%. The prevalence estimates for vaginal dryness and urinary incontinence showed a linear decrease with increasing age. Almost half of the symptomatic women reported moderate to severe discomfort. One-third of those affected received medical care. Previous hysterectomy had no effect on the reported prevalence estimates. Hysterectomized women reported moderate to severe complaints more often than non-hysterectomized ones. There were no significant differences in prevalence estimates between former and current smokers and non-smokers.
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van Geelen, J., van de Weijer, P. & Arnolds, H. Urogenital Symptoms and Resulting Discomfort in Non-Institutionalized Dutch Women Aged 50–75 Years . Int Urogynecol J 11, 9–14 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/PL00004023
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/PL00004023