HMN 2026: How psychological and urogenital menopause symptoms are similar regardless of timing of menopause

There has been a lot of discussion about how the age at menopause can affect menopause symptoms. A new study compared the prevalence and severity of menopause symptoms in women experiencing menopause around the average age of 51 years and those with premature ovarian insufficiency, showing a similar symptom burden in the psychological and urogenital domains.

Survey results are published in an article titled “Menopausal symptoms in average-age menopause and premature ovarian insufficiency,” in the journal Menopause.

Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) is the loss of ovarian function before age 40, leading to an earlier onset of symptoms and other long-term health consequences. Some of the most common menopause symptoms are hot flashes and night sweats, vaginal dryness and itching, urinary frequency or urgency, frequent urinary tract infections, joint pain, mood changes, memory lapses, hair and skin changes, and sexual dysfunction.

All of these symptoms, either alone or together, can dramatically affect a woman’s quality of life. The loss of estrogen during the menopause transition can also increase a woman’s risk of cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis.

Although prior research has shown that women with POI have significantly lower health-related quality-of-life scores, few studies have compared symptoms between women experiencing menopause at the average age and those with POI.

A new study involving more than 500 women analyzed the differences between the two patient groups and found that overall symptom burden was significantly higher for women experiencing menopause at the average age. However, there were no significant differences in psychological or urogenital symptom scores between the two groups, with urogenital symptoms the most commonly reported in both groups.

This category includes sexual problems, bladder problems (including incontinence), dryness or burning of the vagina, and pain during intercourse.

Based on the results, the researchers concluded that menopause symptoms are common and frequently severe in both groups, even though women experiencing menopause at the average age experience greater symptom burden across the board, with the exception of psychological and urogenital symptoms.

These results emphasize the need for timely and effective management of symptoms associated with the loss of estrogen, with particular attention to urogenital and sexual health for women experiencing menopause at any age.

“These findings highlight the burden of menopause symptoms in young patients with premature ovarian insufficiency and underscore the importance of proactive, comprehensive symptom screening in all women experiencing perimenopause or menopause,” says Dr. Stephanie Faubion, medical director for The Menopause Society.

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