
Vulvovaginal Health After Menopause
From Women’s Healthcast by UW-Madison Department of Ob-Gyn
April 8, 2026 · 47 min · Episode 129
About this episode
Dr. Margaret Wilkes discusses Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause and its treatment options.
Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause, or GSM, is incredibly common – some research suggests more than 80 percent of people might experience symptoms like vaginal dryness, pain with intercourse, or urinary incontinence after menopause. And unlike some other symptoms of menopause, like hot flashes or night sweats, genitourinary symptoms don’t get better over time. That makes recognizing the symptoms and learning about treatment options all the more important. Dr. Margaret Wilkes joined this episode of the Women’s Healthcast to demystify GSM. Dr. Wilkes is a urogynecologist in the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. She talked about the normal hormonal changes that cause GSM, the three categories of GSM symptoms she most commonly sees, and the variety of hormonal and non-hormonal treatments available today. Have a suggestion for a future episode? Let us know what health issues you'd like to learn about using this form!
People in this episode
Guest: Dr Margaret Wilkes
Topics covered
- Vulvovaginal health
- Menopause
- Genitourinary Syndrome
- GSM
- Hormonal changes
- Treatment options
Keywords
- vaginal dryness
- pain with intercourse
- urinary incontinence
- hormonal treatments
- non-hormonal treatments
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