Gynecological Morbidities in a Population of Rural Postmenopausal Women in Pondicherry: Uncovering the Hidden Base of the Iceberg

摘要

Research Questions (1) What is the prevalence of common gynecological morbidities and gynecological symptoms among postmenopausal women in rural Pondicherry? (2) What are the determinants of postmenopausal gynecological morbidities? Methods Study Design: Community-based cross-sectional study. Setting: Two villages in Pondicherry, India. Participants: All postmenopausal women aged 50?years and above in the two villages. The participants were interviewed in their households and motivated for examination. By adopting social mobilization strategies coupled with a “Geriatric-friendly” camp approach, 239 eligible women completed gynecological examination. Bivariate analysis of association between gynecological morbidities and its determinants was done using Chi square test. Results Among the study population, the prevalence of at least one gynecological morbidity was 44.4?% (CI 38.0–50.8), whereas the prevalence of at least one gynecological symptom was only 25.9?% (CI 20.3–31.5). Genital prolapse was the most common morbidity which was present in 18.8?% of women. On bivariate analysis, the prevalence of gynecological morbidity was significantly associated with a lower socio-economic status and associated chronic co-morbidities. Conclusions Postmenopausal women harbor a considerable magnitude of gynecological morbidities, and approaches such as geriatric-friendly camps can help in uncovering the full spectrum of gynecological morbidities.