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Ekene Enemchukwu, MD, on the need for better education on GSM, vaginal estrogen
There is also a need to improve multidisciplinary care, according to Ekene Enemchukwu, MD.
Knowledge about genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) and the benefits of vaginal estrogen is lacking, according to Ekene Enemchukwu, MD, MPH, FACS, URPS.
In an interview with Urology Times®, Enemchukwu offers her thoughts on the need for better education on these topics, as well for improved multidisciplinary care amongst urologists, primary care, gynecology, and other specialties.
“We still have some work to do in improving awareness, incorporating it into our curriculums in terms of education, doing more collaborative work among these different specialties that see a lot of these women, helping to streamline referral pathways at different institutions and different health care systems to try to get women diagnosed and treated in an effective way.”
These takeaways are reflective of findings from the study, “Advancing Women’s Health: Addressing Gaps in Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause,” which was presented at the Society of Urodynamics, Female Pelvic Medicine, & Urogenital Reconstruction 2025 Winter Meeting in Rancho Mirage, California.1 Overall, data showed that of the 1.9 million patients with a GSM-related condition, only 9.1% filled a prescription for vaginal estrogen during the study period.
Enemchukwu is an associate professor of urology, and by courtesy, of obstetrics and gynecology (urogynecology), at Stanford Medicine in Palo Alto, California.
Enemchukwu also added, “I think at the end of the day, what we've learned—and we've learned this through urinary incontinence research as well—is that each institution has to figure out what works best for them. Each health care system needs to figure out what works best for them to decide who is responsible for this aspect of the diagnosis and treatment and then when to refer and trying to take the guesswork out of that.”
To this end, she says that research projects aimed at identifying ‘low-hanging fruit’ to help systems be more efficient and streamline care will be important.
REFERENCE
1. Crane E, Gallo K, Gunamany S, Burton C, Zhang CA, Enemchukwu E. Advancing women’s health: Addressing gaps in genitourinary syndrome of menopause. Presented at: Society of Urodynamics, Female Pelvic Medicine, & Urogenital Reconstruction 2025 Winter Meeting. Rancho Mirage, California. February 26-March 1, 2025. Abstract 29. https://sufuorg.com/docs/meetings/sufu2502/program-book-full.aspx
