Correlation between Vaginal pH and Serum Follicle Stimulating Hormone in Menopausal Women

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Associate Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Gilan University of Medical Sciences, Gilan, Iran

2 Resident of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Gilan University of Medical Sciences, Gilan, Iran

Abstract

Introduction: In the absence of vaginitis, elevated vaginal pH may indicate low circulating estrogen levels. So determining vaginal pH values can be a simple and low cost diagnostic tool for menopause.Aim ofthis study was to examine the correlation between serum follicle stimulating hormone and vaginal pH in menopausal women.
Materials and Methods: This is an analytical cross-sectional study carried out on 100 menopausal women referring to gynecologic unit at Alzahra hospital (Rasht, north of Iran).Women who had no menstrual period during the last 1 year, without vaginitis, estrogen replacement therapy, use of vaginal drugs or douches and did not have coitus during the 2 days before the examination were included in the study. Vaginal pH values were assessed by Nitrazine papers. Serum follicle stimulating hormone was measured, and body mass index was calculated. The collected data were analyzed by SPSS software version 10. Statistical tests such as t, chi-square, and bi-variate correlation were used.
Results: The mean age of women was (54.92±8.3) years. There were a direct and significant correlation between serum follicle stimulating hormone and vaginal pH (r= 0.245), vaginal pH and age (r=0.004), and vaginal pH and duration of menopause (r=-0.0125). Also there was straight and significant correlation between serum follicle stimulating hormone and vaginal pH among women whose body mass indices were less than 25 or 25-29.9 kg/m2, and women with postmenopausal periods more than 1 year (P>0.05(
Conclusion: Our study showed poor correlation between vaginal pH and serum follicle stimulating hormone in menopausal women(r=0.245).

Keywords

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