Prevalence of menopausal hormone therapy and alternative methods, health benefits experienced by peri- and postmenopausal Polish women

Abstract

The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of menopausal symptoms, and the use of menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) and nonconventional methods of alleviating menopausal symptoms and their health benefits in peri-and postmenopausal women. A sample of 349 peri-or postmenopausal women were studied, all of whom had experienced menopausal symptoms. A pre-tested questionnaire was used to assess the kinds of menopausal symptoms experienced, the types of therapies used, and the health benefits of using MHT or alternative therapies (AT). The mean age of peri-and postmenopausal women was 49.55 (± 2.51) and 61.32 (± 6.77) years, respectively. The most common symptoms in both groups of peri-and postmenopausal women related to mental health. Altogether 45% of women used MHT and 27.8% AT. Those using MHT reported significant benefits in their sexual life (p < 0.001), whereas those using AT reported significant benefits of better sexual life (p < 0.001), skin condition (p < 0.001), and physical activity (p < 0.05).This study indicated that the most common symptoms connected with the menopausal transition were mental ailments. In order to prevent them, the women more frequently applied MHT in comparison to alternative methods, with postmenopausal women using MHT more often than perimenopausal women. Satisfaction was found with both conventional and alternative treatments for the relief of menopausal symptoms.

Attitude, Practices, and Barriers to Menopausal Hormone Therapy Among Physicians in Saudi Arabia

“…In our study, a majority of the participants (53.6%) acknowledged facing challenges or encountering barriers in relation to prescribing HRT, where the most frequently cited difficulties and barriers associated with HRT prescribing included consumer preferences for complementary/alternative therapies (27.4%), challenges in explaining the risks and benefits of HRT to women (21.1%), and a shortage of suitable HRT products (16.8%). In fact, research indicates that a significant number of women use and are satisfied with both conventional HRT and complementary therapies for menopausal symptoms [30], where a majority of menopausal women tend to consider or try complementary and alternative medicine as alternatives to HRT [31], and these complementary therapies, such as phytoestrogens, are increasingly popular due to their perceived naturalness [32]. However, the safety and efficacy of these therapies, including their potential interactions with HRT, remain areas of concern [33].…”