Reappraisal of the definition criteria for "Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause", and its effect on quality of life in Turkish postmenopausal women

Objective : To reappraise the definition of Genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) and to evaluate the prevalence and effect of GSM on quality of life in Turkish postmenopausal women. Methods : A multicenter, cross-sectional, and observational study was designed. Four hundred three postmenopausal women between the ages of 43-75 who attended Urology and Gynecology clinics between November 2019 and April 2020 were included.They were divided into two groups: Group I (GSM, n:288, 71.5%) and Group II (non-GSM, n:115, 28.5%). Demographic data, presence and intensity of genitourinary symptoms were recorded. The impact of menopause and urinary incontinence on quality of life was evaluated with the Menopause-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire (MENQOL) and the King's Health Questionnaire (KHQ). Results : The most common symptoms were vaginal dryness (66.2%), reduced lubrication (55.3%), and urgency (54.8%). Urinary incontinence was present in 39.2% of women. Worse quality of life in terms of psychosocial and sexual domains of the MENQOL was significant in Group 1 (p Conclusion : Our findings show that urologists and gynecologists should question both symptom groups of postmenopausal women, even if patients do not bring up genitourinary symptoms.