Abstract
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? 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.