The Prevalence and Patterns of Menopausal Symptoms in Women Living with HIV

Sabin, Caroline; Haag, Katharina; Sherr, Lorraine; Dhairyawan, Rageshri; Shephard, J; Richard, G; Burns, Fiona; Post, Frank A.; Jones, Rachael; Gilleece, Yvonne; Tariq, Shema

doi:10.1007/s10461-022-03696-4

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 48 publications

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“…Menopause manifests in a range of symptoms, including vasomotor symptoms, urogenital complaints, and mood changes [5]. Evidence suggests that women living with HIV experience a high prevalence of menopausal symptoms [7,8] and that these symptoms are potentially more severe than in the general population [9][10][11], although further research is needed [12,13]. Oestrogen depletion is a wellrecognized driver of cardiovascular disease and loss of bone mineral density in the general population [14,15].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Collection of menopause data in studies of women living with HIV: A systematic literature review

Graham,

Michala,

Hachfeld

et al. 2023

HIV Medicine

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ObjectivesAn increasing number of women living with HIV are transitioning through midlife and menopause. Women living with HIV may experience earlier menopause and a higher symptom burden than women without HIV, but more evidence is needed. Data collection on menopause in women living with HIV is scarce and often not standardized. We sought to assess how menopause data are collected in cohorts and studies of women living with HIV.MethodsThis was a literature review conducted within the PubMed database. We included original studies and cohorts assessing menopause and/or menopausal symptoms in women living with HIV. Study characteristics and menopause data collection, including the definition of menopause, symptom assessment tools, and measurement of biomedical parameters, were noted and summarized systematically in data tables.ResultsWe included 40 articles describing 37 separate studies published between 2000 and 2023; 27 of these were conducted in high‐income countries, the majority in the USA (n = 16). Ten studies were from low‐ and middle‐income countries; four of these were conducted in Brazil. In 20 studies, menopause was defined according to the World Health Organization's definition of over 12 months of amenorrhea. Twelve studies used the Menopause Rating Scale to characterize menopausal symptoms, five studies used other specified symptom assessment tools, and 12 studies used a study‐specific tool.ConclusionsMenopause data collection in women living with HIV is heterogeneous. We propose that standardized tools should be used to enable comparisons between studies and countries, thereby improving the quality of research and clinical treatment. Further research into the validity of menopausal symptom scoring tools is warranted.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Collection of menopause data in studies of women living with HIV: A systematic literature review

Graham,

Michala,

Hachfeld

et al. 2023

HIV Medicine

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Menopausal symptoms by HIV status and association with health-related quality of life among women in Zimbabwe: a cross-sectional study

et al. 2023

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Background The scale-up of antiretroviral therapy programmes has resulted in increased life expectancy of people with HIV in Africa. Little is known of the menopausal experiences of African women, including those living with HIV. We aimed to determine the prevalence and severity of self-reported menopause symptoms in women at different stages of menopause transition, by HIV status, and evaluate how symptoms are related to health-related quality of life (HRQoL). We further sought to understand factors associated with menopause symptoms. Methods A cross-sectional study recruited women resident in Harare, Zimbabwe, sampled by age group (40–44/45–49/50–54/55–60 years) and HIV status. Women recruited from public-sector HIV clinics identified two similarly aged female friends (irrespective of HIV status) with phone access. Socio-demographic and medical details were recorded and women staged as pre-, peri- or post-menopause. The Menopausal Rating Scale II (MRS), which classified symptom severity, was compared between those with and without HIV. Linear and logistic regression determined factors associated with menopause symptoms, and associations between symptoms and HRQoL. Results The 378 women recruited (193[51.1%] with HIV), had a mean (SD) age of 49.3 (5.7) years; 173 (45.8%), 51 (13.5%) and 154 (40.7%) were pre-, peri and post-menopausal respectively. Women with HIV reported more moderate (24.9% vs. 18.1%) and severe (9.7% vs. 2.6%) menopause symptoms than women without HIV. Peri-menopausal women with HIV reported higher MRS scores than those pre- and post-menopausal, whereas in HIV negative women menopausal stage was not associated with MRS score (interaction p-value = 0.014). With increasing severity of menopause symptoms, lower mean HRQoL scores were observed. HIV (OR 2.02[95% CI 1.28, 3.21]), mood disorders (8.80[2.77, 28.0]), ≥ 2 falls/year (4.29[1.18, 15.6]), early menarche (2.33[1.22, 4.48]), alcohol consumption (2.16[1.01, 4.62]), food insecurity (1.93[1.14, 3.26]) and unemployment (1.56[0.99, 2.46]), were all associated with moderate/severe menopause symptoms. No woman reported use of menopausal hormone therapy. Conclusions Menopausal symptoms are common and negatively impact HRQoL. HIV infection is associated with more severe menopause symptoms, as are several modifiable factors, including unemployment, alcohol consumption, and food insecurity. Findings highlight an unmet health need in ageing women in Zimbabwean, especially among those living with HIV.

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The Prevalence and Patterns of Menopausal Symptoms in Women Living with HIV

Cited by 2 publications

References 48 publications

Collection of menopause data in studies of women living with HIV: A systematic literature review

Collection of menopause data in studies of women living with HIV: A systematic literature review

Menopausal symptoms by HIV status and association with health-related quality of life among women in Zimbabwe: a cross-sectional study

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