Clinical Pattern and Awareness in Women Regarding Menopause and HRT

Abstract

Objective: The assessment of clinical presentation and awareness in women about menopause and Hormone Replacement therapy.

Methodology: This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Gynecology at Isra University Hospital in Hyderabad from July -Dec 2020. The study included women aged between 40 to 70 years with a documented history of menopause. Comprehensive medical histories were obtained, covering presenting complaints, past surgical and medical events, personal and family history, and gynecological history. Physical examinations and ultrasound scans were performed. A pre-designed questionnaire was utilized to collect information regarding sociodemographic characteristic and knowledge regarding menopause and HRT. The gathered data was then entered into the SPSS 16.0 version and subjected to analysis using the same software.

Results: In this study, a total of 173 women were included, with mean age of 56.58 ± 7.73 years. 19 (11%) women were educated, while the majority, 154 (89%), were uneducated. Clinical presentations indicated that 78% women had backache as the most common symptom, and body ache (67.1%) followed by irritation and loss of libido. Additional symptoms included insomnia (52.6%), hot flushes (56.1%), night sweats (43.9%), frequent urination (32.4%), and depression (35.3%). knowledge between rural and urban women was not statistically significant (P=0.88). Conversely, educated women having significantly more knowledge compared to uneducated women (P=0.001).

Conclusion: The study revealed inadequate knowledge about menopause and lack of knowledge regarding HRT. Educated women having significant knowledge regarding menopause and HRT, and most common presentation was backache.