The role of estrogen in female urinary incontinence and urogenital aging: a review.

Urogenital aging is a complex of urogenital symptoms involving the lower urinary tract, the genital tract and the pelvic floor. These symptoms involve hypoestrogenism in the menopausal woman. This review concludes that irritative urinary and local vaginal symptoms are quite amenable to estrogen therapy. Urinary incontinence is thought to be benefited by treatment with estrogen, although controversy exists. There is a limited role for estrogen in problems of urogenital prolapse, rectal symptoms, and sexuality in menopause.