Awareness and Experience of Menopausal Symptom and Hormone Therapy in Korean Postmenopausal Women

Abstract

ObjectivesTo investigate awareness and experience of menopausal symptom and hormone therapy in Korean postmenopausal women.MethodsA total of 570 postmenopausal women were accepted our survey. The women filled out the questionnaires composed of medical and surgical history, menopausal age and symptom, demand of treatment on menopausal symptom, and personal method for overcoming the symptom. Also, we make inquiries about experience of hormone therapy, concern about hormone therapy, improvement of menopausal symptom after therapy, adverse effect, and cause of cease the therapy.ResultsAccording to the survey, 80% (456/570) of the women experienced menopausal symptom. When they felt the symptom at first, 47% (213/570) of women was 46-50 years old. The most common menopausal symptom was hot flushes (141/570). A number of Korean women regarded that menopause was a natural process of ageing (69%). Eighty two % of women thought to need to have treatment on menopausal symptom. However, only half (43%) visited doctor. The most concerned disease after menopause they had answered was osteoporosis (60%) but only 22% of women were taken regular check-up of bone mineral density. The common causes were unwilling to do treatment were concern about adverse effect (51%) and indefinite fear of cancer (32%). Moreover, many women got diverse information about menopause from the mass media than professional advice.ConclusionOnly a minority of Korean postmenopausal women with menopausal symptoms had taken a hormone therapy. We should provide appropriate education and counsel to Korean peri-menopause women.

Perceptions of Postmenopausal Symptoms and Treatment Options among Middle-Aged Korean Women

“…The results of previous epidemiological studies on the awareness of menopause among Korean menopausal women performed by the Korean Menopause Society101112 are comparable to the results of our study. Although the study population differed among the previous studies and our study, with regard to the number of participants and age groups, the finding that more than half of the participants knew about HT was similar.…”

“…The present study differs from previous reports1112 by the Korean Menopause Society in several aspects: first, this was the largest study, including over 2300 women, whereas previous studies had 1201 participants. Second, it was the first attempt to utilize a mobile application survey, whereas previous studies were done by face-to-face interviews or answering questionnaires on paper.…”

“…Some women had the false idea that HT is detrimental to the body's natural system 1112. Although there was no significant difference among different age groups, it was also evident from this study that the primarily considered treatment option among Korean women was lifestyle modification.…”

Recent Advances in the Management for Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause

“…3,7,8 In a Korean study, 49% of postmenopausal women had experienced similar symptoms. 9 Levine et al 10 reported that vulvovaginal symptoms were four times more common in postmenopausal sexually active women. Among them with vulvovaginal symptoms, 40% also had overall sexual dysfunction, 34% arousal difficulties, 24% lack of desire, whereas 19% had orgasm difficulties.…”

Management of Menopausal Symptoms in Mongolia

“…The median age at menopause in Europe ranges from 50.1 to 52.8 years and in Asia from 42.1 to 49.5 years. Among Korean women, common (46.7%) menopausal age was around 46 to 50, but some of them (39%) were 51 to 55 years 2. The population of Mongolia reached 3 million last years with 12% of them being women aged 50 and over.…”