Menopausal Hormone Therapy And Its Awareness In Women

Menopause results from cease in ovarian follicular function and marks the end of menstruation. Most women experience menopause between the ages of 40 and 58 years. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in the form of estrogen alone or combined estrogen and progesterone formulations has been widely used to treat menopausal symptoms to improve women’s quality of life, control their climacteric symptoms and prevent osteoporosis. This study aims to investigate the knowledge and awareness of women towards menopausal hormone replacement therapy and its role in the management of menopause. A cross-sectional observational study was carried out in female population above 18 years of age for 1.5 months. Data was collected using a prestructured online questionnaire using social media platforms. The questionnaire consisted of questions about demographics, menstruation status and about awareness regarding menopause and hormone replacement therapy including menopausal symptoms, HRT treatment options, side effects of HRT etc. 101 participants cooperated with the survey ranging from 18 years and above. 61.4% (n=101) were not in the perimenopausal or menopausal stage, 17.8% were perimenopausal, 7.9% were menopausal and 12.9% were not sure which group they belonged to. Only 18.8% felt well informed about perimenopause/menopause while 66.3% had some knowledge about it and 18.8% are not informed at all. 36.6% had heard of HRT whereas 53.5% had no knowledge about it. This survey demonstrated that the awareness of women about menopausal hormone therapy was not comprehensive and they should be educated more about menopause and use of HRT. Even though some women are aware of HRT as a treatment option; however, a lack of both proper information and positive attitude towards HRT use was noted.