How to Address Sexual Health Concerns During Menopause, With Pelin Batur, MD

Genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) remains substantially underrecognized in primary care, despite affecting at least half of postmenopausal patients and progressively worsening over time. While hot flashes and mood changes often dominate the clinical conversation, vulvovaginal dryness, dyspareunia, urinary urgency, and recurrent urinary tract infections may go unaddressed—especially in brief, problem-dense visits with midlife and older women.

In this short video at the 2026 American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists (ACOG) Annual Clinical & Scientific Meeting, Pelin Batur, MD, Professor of OB/GYN and Reproductive Biology; Interim director, Women’s Health Comprehensive Health & Research Center, Cleveland Clinic, outlined pragmatic, clinic-ready strategies for primary care physicians to better identify and manage GSM and related sexual health concerns. Batur emphasized that the primary barrier is not lack of clinical tools, but lack of time and a low priority placed on sexual health amid competing demands.

Batur discussed how a simple, validating statement—acknowledging the complexity of sexual health and offering a dedicated follow-up appointment—can move these issues out of the “doorknob conversation” zone and into structured care. Batur also reviewed the importance of a focused pelvic examination at follow-up to distinguish GSM from pelvic floor dysfunction and other treatable causes of pain, and highlights when referral to pelvic floor physical therapy can be transformative.