Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause (GSM) is a natural condition of the vulva, vagina, and bladder that occurs due to the decrease of available estrogen and testosterone to those organs after menopause.
The vagina and vulva need estrogen to stay moisturized, soft, stretchy, and also to stay acidic so that bacteria do not thrive and enter the urethra and create urinary tract infections. The vagina and the urethra/bladder also need estrogen and testosterone to reduce inflammation and pain.
Share This Post
About the Author
Dr. Rachel Pope is a board-certified gynecologist, the chief of a female Sexual Health division in a Urology Department, and the founder of Our Womanity. She created Our Womanity to shed light on the subjects people don't talk about, reduce the stigma, and empower women to understand their own health.