Urogenital atrophy

Abstract

Because of the rapid increase in the aging population and the plethora of new pharmacologic treatment options, urogenital atrophy disorders have become a more commonly recognized problem in the female population. With the large number of baby boomers reaching the menopausal years, by the year 2000 over one-third of the female population in the US were over the age of 50. Up to 43% of this older population will suffer from symptoms of vaginal dryness and 41% will report dyspareunia. However, it is not only gonadal hormonal changes that impact on the anatomic and physiologic alterations that occur in the urogenital tract and characterize urogenital atrophy; many other factors including chronologic aging, parity, genetic and environmental also impact on pelvic health. © 2006 Springer-Verlag London Limited.