Abstract
Background: Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause (GSM), as defined by the International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health and the North American Menopause Society, encompasses genital, sexual, and urinary signs and symptoms associated with estrogen deficiency.
Objective: To evaluate the impact of GSM on quality of life among postmenopausal women in a Turkish population using validated menopause-specific instruments .
Methods: This cross-sectional study included 194 sexually active postmenopausal women aged 45-65 years attending a university-affiliated teaching hospital in Turkey. GSM was diagnosed based on clinical symptoms and physical examination findings. Participants completed the Menopause-Specific Quality of Life (MENQOL) and Day-to-Day Impact of Vaginal Aging (DIVA) questionnaires. Women receiving systemic or local menopausal hormone therapy were excluded. Factor analysis, reliability testing, group comparisons, and Pearson correlation analyses were performed.
Results: Women with GSM had significantly higher total DIVA and MENQOL scores than women without GSM (p<0.001). The sexual functioning domain was the most affected dimension across both instruments. A very strong correlation was observed between the DIVA sexual functioning and MENQOL sexual domains (r=0.919), indicating concordant assessment of GSM-related sexual impairment.
Conclusions: In this Turkish cohort, GSM was associated with significantly impaired quality of life, particularly in the domain of sexual functioning. These findings underscore the need for routine GSM screening and proactive management in postmenopausal women, especially in settings where cultural barriers may limit symptom disclosure.
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