The results of a 24-h pad test in Brazilian women

Abstract

Introduction and hypothesis: The International Continence Society (ICS) adopted 1.3 g as the normative value for the 24-h pad test. We hypothesized that this cutoff value may not be valid for women who live in countries with high temperatures.

Methods: We documented the 24-h pad test values of continent women in Brazil and investigated the factors that can influence in vaginal humidity.

Results: The sample consisted of 257 participants. The temperatures ranged from 19°C to 27.8°C. The median increase in the weight of the pad was 1.9 g (1.4-3.0 g, 95th percentile 4.4 g). Pad test results differed significantly between pre- and postmenopausal women (p = 0.026). There was a significant difference in the pad weights of women who use hormone therapy (p = 0.003).

Conclusions: The value of the 24-h pad test established by the ICS was not valid for the investigated sample. Environmental conditions, menopausal status, and use of hormone therapy can interfere with the values of the pad test.