A 54-year-old woman who has just completed menopause is in the clinic today for a yearly physical examination. Which of these statements should the nurse include in patient education?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Decreased vaginal secretions leave the vagina dry and at risk for irritation and pain with intercourse (dyspareunia). Hormone replacement therapy increases, not decreases, the risk for breast cancer. In addition to cessation of menses, there are several other changes that occur with menopause. The female's hormonal milieu decreases rapidly, the uterus shrinks, the ovaries atrophy, the pelvic musculature weakens, the cervix shrinks, and the vagina becomes shorter, narrower, less elastic, and vaginal epithelium atrophies, becoming thinner, drier, and itchy. However, these physical changes need not affect sexual pleasure and function.

A 54-Year-Old Woman Who Has Just Completed Menopause Is in the Clinic