Women's knowledge about menopause, hormone replacement therapy (HRT), and interactions with healthcare providers: an exploratory study.

This community mail-based survey received responses from 665 women to questions in three areas: (1) sources of information about menopause, (2) knowledge of health risks associated with menopause, and (3) knowledge about hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Women received information from many sources, including healthcare providers, friends, and mothers, but the number one source of information about menopause was women's magazines (76%). Over half of women surveyed said they had left healthcare appointments with unanswered questions about menopause and HRT. Although women seemed to have a basic understanding of the symptoms of menopause, their knowledge of the long-term health risks affected by menopause was poor. For example, women were much more likely (60%) to know that osteoporosis risk increased with menopause than to know that heart disease risk increased (30%) despite the much higher prevalence and severity of heart disease as a health problem of menopausal women. Many women thought that menopause itself (independent of aging) increased the risk of breast cancer. This finding may help explain the low percentage of women who take HRT for menopause despite proven health benefits. It is clear that better education about menopause needs to be accomplished regarding the long-term risk associated with menopause and the pros and cons of HRT. Strategies for improving education and interactions with healthcare providers are suggested.