Dr. Rubin on the importance of vaginal hormone treatments for women over 45

In this video, Rachel S. Rubin, MD, shares the take-home message from the 2023 American Urological Association Annual Meeting abstract “Impact of vaginal prasterone on the rate of urinary tract infections in GSM patients and those with a history of breast cancer: a retrospective cohort analysis.” Rubin is a urologist and sexual medicine specialist in private practice in Rockville, Maryland and also an assistant clinical professor in urology at Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, DC.

Transcription:

What is take-home message for the practicing urologist?

The take-home message is that as a practicing urologist, you should be treating genitourinary syndrome of menopause and giving any woman over 45 vaginal hormones, whether in the form of vaginal estrogen or vaginal DHEA, to prevent urinary tract infections, to help with urinary frequency and urgency, and to act like Viagra [sildenafil citrate] to improve arousal and orgasm and lubrication, and they are totally safe to use. You should not hesitate; in fact, vaginal hormones should be like you giving out Cialis [tadalafil] or Flomax [tamsulosin] to your patients. Women over 45 should be offered these therapies and understand how safe and effective they are. The American Urological Association has agreed to do a guideline in genitourinary syndrome of menopause. I couldn't be prouder of that, because it is the advocacy work that my colleagues and I have been doing to really bring this to the forefront to say, "This is urology." This is what we do all day, every day as urologists, and we are board certified to take care of women just as much as we are board certified to take care of men, and we just don't push as hard or are as loud or as forceful in the tools that we have for our female patients. So it's really thrilling. We had our first ever course that the AUA supported at the meeting this year on genitourinary syndrome of menopause, and we had a full room, a packed house. We had people lining up at the microphone with questions. The room was filled with more than 50% men. I couldn't be more excited for the future.

This transcription was edited for clarity.