Menopause in Latin America: Symptoms, attitudes, treatments and future directions in Costa Rica

Abstract

Similar to their US counterparts, Costa Rican women enter menopause at ~50 years of age, have similar symptoms, including hot flashes and night sweats, as well as an overall negative attitude toward the menopausal transition. One study of rural women in Monteverde reported that women knew little about the menopausal transition, as the subject was not discussed. Similar to other Latin American women, the use of hormone therapy by Costa Rican women is low and instead they use alternative therapies, including massage, dietary changes and herbal medicines. A wide variety of herbal therapies are used, and some of these herbs have estrogenic activities in vitro. However, clinical data on the safety and efficacy of any of these treatments is lacking. Recently, a disturbing increase in the incidence of human papilloma virus infections in menopausal women has been reported, due in part to more sexual freedom after menopause. Fortunately, the strain of HPV infecting these women is not associated with cervical cancer. Overall, there is a significant lack of scientific and medical research on menopausal women in Costa Rica. Considering the aging population, the high use of herbal medicines by menopausal women and the lack of clinical studies on these treatments, future research should focus on gaining a better understanding of menopause in this population. Furthermore, new educational programs for these women and the health professionals who serve them are necessary, as well as investigations of the safety and efficacy of the herbal supplements women use to manage their menopausal symptoms.

Differential analysis of quantitative proteome and acetyl-proteome profiling between premenopausal and postmenopausal ovarian tissues

“…In addition, menopause may also cause bone loss, breast diseases, problems in cardiovascular system, mood and cognitive dysfunctions, sexual issues, etc. [ 3 , 4 ]. The risk of ovarian cancer is also elevated during perimenopause [ 5 ].…”

Isolation and identification of three new chromones from the leaves of Pimenta dioica with cytotoxic, oestrogenic and anti-oestrogenic effects

“… 2007 , 2009 ; Locklear et al. 2007 , 2010 , 2017 ). Results of this work demonstrated that extracts of P. dioica not only bound to the oestrogen receptors, but also induced the transcription of oestrogen responsive genes in MCF-7 cells (Doyle et al.…”

“…As part of our work in Central America, we have identified more than 17 plant species used in Costa Rica to treat women’s reproductive health disorders with a focus on menopause (Locklear et al. 2007 , 2017 ; Doyle et al. 2009 ).…”

Understanding Attitudes, Beliefs, and Behaviors Surrounding Menopause Transition: Results from Three Surveys

“…In addition, differences in attitudes towards menopause transition and symptoms have also been observed among Latin American and Asian women from different ethnic groups. [27][28][29][30][31] Many women used online resources to find information on perimenopause, although many were dissatisfied with the available information. The healthcare needs of women experiencing menopause transition include easy access to data and sharing experiences with healthcare providers without a rigid and patronizing assessment of attitudes and behaviors.…”