UROGENITAL AGING - CREATION OF IMPROVED AWARENESS

Urogenital aging is given a low priority in the medical community and is an entity not well known to the general public. Many women are not aware of the possible disorders of the lower urinary tract and the vag ina because of estrogen deficiency These changes are perceived often a s a normal part of the general aging process not associated with the p ossibility of medical attention, diagnosis, and treatment. Access to t he information that certain urogenital dysfunctions, in particular inc ontinence, and vaginal discomfort respond to estrogen replacement ther apy is not available for every woman. in addition, physicians and pati ents may hesitate to address these issues because of feelings of shame and embarrassment, feelings commonly encountered and specific for the complex of urogenital aging. Educational efforts and promotion of inf ormation with use of various media might help to improve knowledge and remove the taboo attached to urogenital aging in both health care pro viders and the general public. Thus a better understanding of urogenit al aging would be achieved and the potential of estrogen replacement e xtended.