Patient attitudes and insights about vulvar and vaginal atrophy to be
presented at The North American Menopause Society Annual Meeting
LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep. 30, 2015--
Results from qualitative research of postmenopausal women with vulvar
and vaginal atrophy (VVA) show that they recognize the significant
physical, emotional and psychological consequences of untreated
dyspareunia (painful sex) yet they continue to suffer because of
misperceptions about the condition and a general lack of understanding
about treatment options.
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Sheryl A. Kingsberg, PhD, Chief of Behavioral Medicine in the Department
of OB/GYN at University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland, will
present the findings during an oral presentation, "Women’s Attitudes and
Behaviors towards Vulvar and Vaginal Atrophy." The presentation is
scheduled for Oct. 1 at 4:45 p.m. PDT at The North American Menopause
Society (NAMS) 2015 Annual Meeting, held at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas
from Sept. 30-Oct. 3, 2015. This announcement was made by University
Hospitals Case Medical Center and TherapeuticsMD, Inc. (NYSE MKT: TXMD).
This qualitative research was funded by TherapeuticsMD.
"Many women continue to experience pain during sex because they
mistakenly believe VVA to be a sexual consequence of aging instead of
the true medical condition that we know it to be," said Dr. Kingsberg,
who is also Professor of Reproductive Biology and Psychiatry at Case
Western Reserve University School of Medicine. "Although they
characterize their symptoms in medical terms – severe pain, sensitivity
and soreness that lasts for days, and vaginal bleeding and irritation –
they perceive these symptoms to be part of a sexual problem that is not
supposed to be discussed with, and managed by, a health care
professional. This may help explain why VVA remains underdiagnosed and
undertreated, with only 7 percent of women who experience symptoms
treated with prescription therapy."†
The findings show that women who are motivated to treat their moderate
to severe dyspareunia raise the issue with their physicians and switch
providers until they find one who suggests satisfactory treatment
options. However, they are not educated about the underlying clinical
cause, potential benefits of estrogen therapy, or the differences
between systemic estrogen and local estrogen. These knowledge gaps
contribute to misperceptions about treatment benefits and risk, and are
barriers to treatment. Women who are currently not motivated to seek
treatment say that they were ignored by physicians when they did manage
to overcome their embarrassment and speak about their symptoms.
Dyspareunia affects between 25 and 45 percent of postmenopausal women.†
The most common cause is VVA, which can significantly impair the
quality of life in postmenopausal women and impact their sexual
function. VVA is a component of Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause
(GSM), a chronic condition resulting from the decrease in naturally
occurring estrogen at menopause, which leads to thinning of the vaginal
lining and an increase in vaginal pH levels.
"VVA is a common consequence of menopause that affects up to 32 million
women, so discussing the underlying condition as well as treatment
options for dyspareunia should be a natural conversation between women
and health care professionals," Dr. Kingsberg added. "Women deserve to
know the facts about the condition and to understand the clinical
benefits of local estrogen therapy for relief from painful sexual
intercourse and the negative impact it has on other areas of their
lives.”
About University Hospitals
University Hospitals, the second largest private employer in Northeast
Ohio with 26,000 employees, serves the needs of patients through an
integrated network of 16 hospitals, more than 35 outpatient health
centers and primary care physician offices in 15 counties. At the core
of our $3.5 billion health system is University Hospitals Case Medical
Center, ranked among America’s best hospitals by U.S. News & World
Report. The primary affiliate of Case Western Reserve University School
of Medicine, UH Case Medical Center is home to some of the most
prestigious clinical and research programs in the nation, including
cancer, pediatrics, women's health, orthopaedics, radiology,
neuroscience, cardiology and cardiovascular surgery, digestive health,
transplantation and genetics. Its main campus includes UH Rainbow Babies
& Children's Hospital, ranked among the top children's hospitals in the
nation; UH MacDonald Women's Hospital, Ohio's only hospital for women;
and UH Seidman Cancer Center, part of the NCI-designated Case
Comprehensive Cancer Center at Case Western Reserve University. For more
information, go to www.uhhospitals.org.
About TherapeuticsMD, Inc.
TherapeuticsMD, Inc. is an innovative healthcare company focused on
developing and commercializing products exclusively for women. With its
patented SYMBODA™ technology, TherapeuticsMD is developing
advanced hormone therapy pharmaceutical products to enable delivery of
bio-identical hormones through a variety of dosage forms and
administration routes. The company's clinical development pipeline
includes two phase 3 products. The company also manufactures and
distributes branded and generic prescription prenatal vitamins as well
as over-the-counter vitamins under vitaMedMD® and BocaGreenMD®
brands. More information is available at the following websites: www.therapeuticsmd.com,
www.vitamedmd.com,
www.vitamedmdrx.com
and www.bocagreenmd.com.
This press release by TherapeuticsMD, Inc. may contain
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Reference:
† Kingsberg, Sheryl A., et. al. "Vulvar and Vaginal Atrophy in
Postmenopausal Women: Findings from the REVIVE (REal Women's VIews of
Treatment Options for Menopausal Vaginal ChangEs) Survey." Journal
of Sexual Medicine 2013, no. 10, 1790-1799.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150930005291/en/
Source: TherapeuticsMD, Inc.
For University Hospitals:
Alicia Reale, 216-844-5158
Alicia.Reale@uhhospitals.org
or
For
TherapeuticsMD:
Dan Cartwright, 561-961-1900
Chief Financial
Officer
Dan.Cartwright@TherapeuticsMD.com