Menopause is a global physiological milestone in any woman’s life. Multitudes of studies have already described every aspect of this unique phenomenon, yet more are published in an attempt to further highlight ethnic, cultural, social and geographic differences in the symptomatology of menopause. Recently, a cross-sectional study of 1000 postmenopausal women from China, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand and Hong Kong addressed the perception of postmenopausal symptoms, use and knowledge of hormone replacement therapy (HRT), breast discomfort and knowledge of breast cancer risk and sexual function among Asian women [1]. In this study, participants were interviewed face to face following street interception or door-to-door visits. The eligible women in the study were between the ages of 45 and 60 years and from middle-class socioeconomic communities. The main reason for seeking treatment was found to be sleeplessness in 42% of the women; on average, 54% of the women were aware of HRT, but most of them (38%) were unable to mention any associated benefits. Only 19% received HRT and 37% received herbal or natural treatment. Breast discomfort was reported by 27% of respondents and 70% reported performing self-breast examination. HRT was described by 24% as being a risk factor for breast cancer; 66% of the women and 51% of their partners reported no reduction in sexual function. Among those with sexual dysfunction, only 33% were willing to seek treatment.
Author(s)
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Seema Sharma
Associate Professor, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Mahatma Gandhi Medical College & Hospital, Jaipur, India
Citations
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