Quality of life among women with symptoms of gynecological morbidities: Results of a cross‐sectional study in K arachi, P akistan

Aims A population‐based cross‐sectional study design was used to study the effects of symptoms of various gynecological morbidities ( GM ) on health‐related quality of life ( HRQ o L ) of women, residents of squatter settlements of K arachi, P akistan. Material and Methods This cross‐sectional study was conducted in squatter settlements of K arachi from S eptember 2012 to A ugust 2013, with 1002 married, non‐pregnant women. After obtaining written informed consent from every participant, a structured questionnaire was used to collect information about symptoms of GM and their effect on four domains of HRQ o L (physical, social, functional and financial domains). Results Of 1002 women who participated in the study, 578 reported suffering from one or more symptoms of GM . The most commonly reported symptoms were foul‐smelling vaginal discharge, dysmenorrhea and uterovaginal prolapse while the least reported symptom was post‐coital bleeding. Symptoms of GM were found to have a negative impact on HRQ o L . Approximately one‐third of women with the symptoms of GM reported having negative influences on the physical, financial and functional domains of HRQ o L with social domain being comparatively less affected. Compared to other symptoms, dysmenorrhea and uterovaginal prolapse were reported to be mostly associated with poor HRQ o L of women. Conclusion The concept of HRQ o L has been kept marginal and inconspicuous by clinicians. In order to achieve the psychosocial satisfaction of the patient, the focus needs to be diverted to all domains of HRQ o L .