Clinical Approach to Recognizing and Managing a Patient With Vaginal Atrophy: A Guide for Physician Assistants

Vaginal atrophy is a consequence of postmenopausal estrogen deprivation, causing symptoms such as vaginal dryness, irritation, itching, burning, urinary incontinence, urinary tract infections, and dyspareunia. These symptoms cause extreme discomfort, decrease libido, and significantly impact the quality of life in menopausal women. Considering that symptoms associated with vaginal atrophy do not resolve without treatment, it is important to recognize and treat the condition; however, women do not voluntarily report symptoms and clinicians may not routinely question patients regarding sexual health. It is thus important to raise awareness about vaginal atrophy among clinicians in order to enhance the quality of care in menopausal women. Treatment goals include alleviating symptoms, reversing or minimizing the physiological changes, and improving quality of life for the patient.