Practical Treatment Considerations in the Management of Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause.

Genitourinary syndrome of menopause is a condition comprising the atrophic symptoms and signs women may experience in the vulvovaginal and bladder-urethral areas as a result of the loss of sex steroids that occurs with menopause. It is a progressive condition that does not resolve without treatment and can adversely affect a woman's quality of life. For a variety of reasons, many symptomatic women do not seek treatment and, of those who do, many are unhappy with their options.

Treatment of Vulvodynia: Pharmacological and Non-Pharmacological Approaches.

Vulvodynia is a common, recurrent, vulvar pain condition with debilitating consequences for affected women's health and quality of life. The heterogeneity of women suffering from vulvodynia as well as its uncertain and likely multifactorial etiology pose a significant challenge to identifying any kind of "gold standard" treatment. Thus, treatment providers must be well versed in the various options and the evidence for each.

Bacterial vaginosis: a primer for clinicians.

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) affects approximately one third of women in the United States. While often asymptomatic, BV infection may be accompanied by serious health consequences, such as preterm birth and pelvic inflammatory disease, and may facilitate acquisition of sexually transmitted infections. Identifying appropriate patients for screening, such as pregnant women, women planning pregnancy, and women with multiple and/or new sexual partners, is imperative for treatment.

The role of androgens in the treatment of genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM): International Society for the Study of Women's Sexual Health (ISSWSH) expert consensus panel review.

Objective: The objective of this consensus document is to broaden the perspective on clinical management of genitourinary syndrome of menopause to include androgens.

Methods: A modified Delphi method was used to reach consensus among the 14 international panelists representing multiple disciplines and societies.

Results: Menopause-related genitourinary symptoms affect over 50% of midlife and older women.

Similarities between interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome and vulvodynia: implications for patient management.

Interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) and vulvodynia are chronic pain syndromes that appear to be intertwined from the perspectives of embryology, pathology and epidemiology. These associations may account for similar responses to various therapies.

Vulvar Dermatoses: A Primer for the Sexual Medicine Clinician.

Introduction: Vulvar dermatoses are common dermatological conditions that affect the vulva, and can cause considerable pain, irritation, pruritus, and burning, and have an adverse impact on a woman's sexual function.

Aim: To provide an overview of the clinical features, etiology, and management options for the common vulvar dermatoses, including lichen sclerosus, lichen planus, lichen simplex, contact dermatitis, and vulvar psoriasis, and briefly describe the impact of vulvar dermatoses on sexual function.

Methods: The key words "vulvar dermatoses," "lichen sclerosus," "lichen planus," "lichen simplex chronicus," "vulvar dermatitis," and "vulvar psoriasis," were utilized to search Medline and PubMed for articles, with special attention given to those published within the past 5 years.

Evidence-based multidisciplinary practice: improving the safety and standards of male bladder catheterization.

A series of nursing care variances related to the procedure of catheterizing male patients stimulated an evidence-based practice project designed to define best practice for the technique of inserting male catheters. Results indicate current nursing knowledge may be inadequate.