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Reproductive medicine

Reproductive medicine

What is menopause?
  • Last menstrual period in life
  • Postmenopause is the period in a woman’s life when she has stopped getting her period for more than a year
Why is a visit to your gynecologist necessary in case of postmenopausal bleeding?
  • Postmenopausal bleeding may have many harmless causes, but women at this stage are in greater risk of developing malignant diseases so this type of bleeding needs to be checked
  • Bleeding may occur from the colon, vagina or the bladder and it is not easy for a woman to detect the source of bleeding on her own
What are the causes of vaginal bleeding?
  • Intercourse
    • At this age, the vaginal wall is dry and thin so the friction during intercourse may lead to bleeding
    • A serious injury of the vagina may occur in cases of rougher intercourse, resulting in heavier bleeding
  • Vaginal dryness, in which case the vagina may be hurt by wiping with toilet paper
  • Infections
  • Endometrial atrophy – a condition where the endometrium is so thin due to hormone depletion that it causes bleeding
  • Endometrial hyperplasia – a condition where the endometrium continues to grow regardless of menopause. It is more often in overweight women because estriol, a hormone very similar to estrogen, is created in the fat tissue
  • Blood clotting disorder
  • Hormone replacement therapy
  • Prescription drugs taken to treat other diseases (e.g. Marivarin, Voltaren, Andol)
  • Uterine polyps – benign growths in the endometrium and cervix
  • Malignant diseases
How dangerous is postmenopausal bleeding?
  • One of eight women experiencing postmenopausal bleeding is diagnosed with endometrial cancer
What groups of women are under increased risk to develop endometrial cancer?
  • Overweight women
  • Women with PCOS or irregular menstrual periods
  • Women entering menopause later in life
  • Women with endometrial hyperplasia
  • Women with diabetes or high blood pressure
  • Women with breast, colon or ovarian cancer
What exams will the gynecologist do?
  • Pelvic examination
  • Pap test
  • Vaginal ultrasonography
  • Curettage may be necessary, i.e. taking a tissue sample from the uterus