Title: Prevalence and Pattern of Direct Gynecological Morbidity among Postmenopausal Women Aged Above 50 – A Community Study
Authors: Dr S. Sreelatha, Dr Shahanas Hassan H, Dr Shaila S
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.18535/jmscr/v5i4.210
Abstract
Background: Gynecological morbidity is one of the three facets of reproductive morbidity as enlisted by WHO. The aim of this study is to understand the prevalence and pattern of direct gynecological morbidity among postmenopausal women aged above 50years in an urban setting in Trivandrum district.
Materials and Methods: The study was done in two randomly selected wards of Trivandrum district. Sample size derived was 400. Systematic sampling was done to select the study households. From the study household postmenopausal women above 50 consenting for study was selected. Mentally challenged and bedridden women were excluded. .Phase one was an interview at the woman’s house and phase two was a gynecological examination including cervical smear at the nearest facility which was Government Medical College Trivandrum. Data was collected and analyzed.
Results and Discussion: The prevalence of self-reported gynecological symptoms was 19% in the study population and the gynecological morbidity computed by examination was 23.5%. This was low when compared to other studies. The probable reason could be that this study population was the educated, urban, middleclass women with easy accessible health facility. The most frequent symptom was those involving the urinary tract (12.3%) and the morbidity was diseases of the vulva and vagina. Younger age of menarche and lower socioeconomic status was found to have significant association with the prevalence of gynecological symptoms.
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