OBJECTIVE:

To estimate the prevalence of the genitourinary syndrome of menopause, to establish its impact on sexuality, on emotional life and to establish the association with menstrual status and postmenopausal stages.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

Transversal study carried out in 2019 in Afro-descendant women of the Colombian Caribbean, in the climacteric stage, captured in their residences and surveyed with the Vulvovaginal Symptoms Questionnaire. Unadjusted multivariate logistic regression was performed: genitourinary syndrome of menopause and its repercussions (dependent variables), menstrual status, and postmenopausal stages (independent variables). Anonymous voluntary evaluation with informed consent.

RESULTS:

369 patients of African descent from the Colombian Caribbean were surveyed, with 49.1 ± 5.8 years. The 66.3% were early postmenopausal and 33.7% late. 86.2% were sexually active. The most frequent symptoms were: irritation, itching and vulvovaginal dryness. 23.3% (86 of 369) had genitourinary syndrome of menopause. 14% of the women with this syndrome who were sexually active reported an impairment of desire. In 20.6% (14 of 68) was identified affectation in sexuality, in 22.1% (19 of 86) impact on quality of life and 25.6% (22 of 86) in the emotional area. No association was found between menstrual states, postmenopausal stages and genitourinary syndrome of menopause (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS:

A significant percentage (23.3%) of the women surveyed had genitourinary menopause syndrome. Twenty percent of those affected expressed repercussions on sexuality, daily life, and emotions. In this group of Colombian Afro-descendants, no association between the stages of menopause and the syndrome assessed was observed in the climacteric.

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