Speaking of Urology: Melissa Kaufman, MD, on AUA’s new guideline on genitourinary syndrome of menopause

At this year’s American Urological Association (AUA) Annual Meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada, the AUA released their new guideline on genitourinary syndrome of menopause in collaboration with the Society of Urodynamics, Female Pelvic Medicine, & Urogenital Reconstruction.¹

In this episode of Speaking of Urology, guideline chair Melissa R. Kaufman, MD, PhD, FACS, highlights key points from the guideline and illustrates its impact for clinical management of this condition. Kaufman is the Patricia and Rodes Hart professor in urologic surgery, as well as a professor of urology and chief of the Division of reconstructive urology and pelvic health at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee.

According to Kaufman, the guidelines prioritize shared decision-making, emphasizing that treatment decisions should reflect the patient's individual values and preferences.

Other key updates in the guidelines include:

• Screening via focused patient history on urinary, vaginal, and sexual symptoms.
• Shared decision-making at the core of management, acknowledging there is no "one size fits all" approach.
• Clarification on vaginal estrogen safety, countering outdated fears from the previous FDA black box warning: low-dose vaginal estrogen does not increase risks of breast cancer, cardiovascular disease, dementia, or endometrial cancer.

Kaufman concluded, “What we've come up with are pragmatic statements that can be rapidly implemented. I do believe we're going to be transformational, both to engage urologists to treat these patients, as well as improve these patients' outcomes in a very global sense.”

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REFERENCE

1. Kaufman MR, Ackerman LA, Amin KA, et al. The AUA/SUFU/AUGS Guideline on Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause. J Urol. 0(0). doi:10.1097/JU.0000000000004589