Urogenitale verschijnselen en hinder daarvan bij thuiswonende Nederlandse vrouwen van 50 tot 75 jaar

To determine the prevalence of urogenital symptoms in non-institutionalized Dutch women, aged 50 to 75 years, and the degree of discomfort.

Design

Cross-sectional study.

Setting

Nationwide investigation.

Method

A questionnaire was sent to 2157 non-institutionalized Dutch women aged 50 to 75 years. The survey sample was representative of the female population aged 50 to 75 years with respect to age, marital status, level of education and menopausal age.

Results

The usable response was 81.6 (n = 1761). The over-all prevalence of vaginal dryness, soreness and dyspareunia was 27. The prevalence of micturition symptoms, urinary incontinence and recurrent urinary tract infections 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.

Conclusion

The prevalence of urogenital symptoms in noninstitutionalized Dutch women aged 50 to 75 years, was high: 47. Of these women, 40 to 60 experienced discomfort, but only one-third had sought medical advice. These urogenital problems will probably increase in the coming decades.