title: Vaginal dryness assessment in postmenopausal women using pH test strip.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To objectively analyze vaginal dryness in postmenopausal women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty healthy postmenopausal women, were divided in three groups according to the treatment they received. Group I, conjugated equine estrogens (CEE) 0.625 mg/day (n=20), group II, CEE 0.625 mg/day plus chlormadinone 1 mg/day (n=13), and group III, CEE 0.625 mg/day plus medroxyprogesterone 2.5 mg/day (n=7). Vaginal dryness intensity was analyzed using an analog visual scale, and vaginal humidity measuring the moistening in mm of a pH test strip. Both were evaluated at baseline and 3 months after the beginning of treatment. The comparison among groups and between the baseline and final results was done with Student's t-test for paired and independent samples, respectively. Pearson correlation analysis was carried out between final vaginal dryness intensity and the final moistening of the pH test strip.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No statistically significant differences were found in age neither in somatometric variables among the groups. In the three groups, vaginal dryness intensity significantly decreased and the pH test strip moistening significantly increased. A significant negative correlation was only found in group II (-0.690 P<0.009).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Vaginal dryness evaluation assessing the pH test strip moistening is an objective method to evaluate this symptom in postmenopausal women, and the results are independent of the hormone replacement therapy schedule.
authors.affiliation: Gynecologic Endocrinology Service, Luis Castelazo Ayala, Gynecology and Obstetrics Hospital, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Puente de piedra 150-422 Torre I, Col. Toriello Guerra, CP 14050 México D.F., Mexico. scarranza@mexis.com
authors.forename: Sebastián
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Carranza-Lira
authors.forename: Nayeli
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fragoso-Díaz
authors.forename: Ana Luz
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: MacGregor-Gooch
authors.forename: Martha Patricia
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Garduño-Hernández
authors.forename: Katiuska
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ríos-Calderón
authors.forename: Hipólito
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Aparicio
mesh_terms: D001284:Atrophy / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D002715:Chlormadinone Acetate / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy; D004966:Estrogens, Conjugated (USP) / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008525:Medroxyprogesterone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D017698:Postmenopause; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D014621:Vagina / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D014623:Vaginal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D004966:Estrogens, Conjugated (USP); D002715:Chlormadinone Acetate; D008525:Medroxyprogesterone