Genitourinary syndrome of menopause among Chinese women during the menopausal transition and postmenopause: findings from a longitudinal cohort study

This study aims to explore the prevalence and related factors of genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) in a Chinese longitudinal cohort. A total of 616 women in the menopausal transition or postmenopausal stage from an urban Chinese community were included in this study. The study assessed the prevalence, degree and factors associated with different types of GSM. The prevalence of moderate/severe GSM rose from 23.9% in the early menopausal transition to 36.8% in the late menopausal transition, to 56.1% in postmenopause stage +1 and 71.4% in postmenopause stage +2. More than half of the postmenopausal women reported loss of libido (68.7%), vaginal dryness (60.2%), stress urinary incontinence (59.8%) and low sexual pleasure (58.8%). Multivariable analysis revealed that Stages of Reproductive Aging Workshop +10 (STRAW +10) stages (p = 0.009), marital status (p < 0.001) and anxiety (p = 0.005) were independently associated with GSM. This study shows that as women progress through the menopausal transition, GSM symptoms become increasingly common and severe. In particular, postmenopausal women experience a higher burden of these symptoms. Additionally, menopausal stage, marital status and anxiety were identified as independent factors associated with GSM. These findings provide a comprehensive insight of GSM among middle-aged Chinese women, underlining the importance of diagnosis and treatment for GSM.