Perceptions of postmenopausal symptoms and treatment options among middle-aged Korean women

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Authors: Min Kyoung Kim ; Seok Kyo Seo ; Hee Dong Chae ; Kyung Joo Hwang ; Tak Kim ; Byung-Koo Yoon ; Byung Seok Lee

MeSH: Aged ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Estrogen Replacement Therapy/adverse effects ; Estrogen Replacement Therapy/psychology* ; Female ; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice* ; Humans ; Menopause/psychology* ; Middle Aged ; Postmenopause/ethnology* ; Republic of Korea ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Women's Health*

Abstract: PURPOSE: To investigate the perceptions of postmenopausal symptoms and treatment options among middle-aged Korean women.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 2330 Korean women. The women were administered a structured questionnaire to collect sociodemographic data and information regarding menopause and its treatment.

RESULTS: More than half (65%) of the participants perceived menopause as a disease, and 66.8% knew hormone therapy (HT) is available for menopausal symptom treatment. However, only 19.7% of participants visited clinics for HT. The most common reasons for having negative views about HT were its adverse reactions (47.3%) and concerns about developing cancer (41.1%). For symptom management, 36.5% of the participants tried lifestyle modification instead of HT.

CONCLUSION: The majority of Korean women regarded menopause as a disease. They were aware of HT for menopausal symptom treatment, but the use of HT was relatively low. Education about the safety and positive effects of HT and the importance of professional healthcare should be provided.