Midlife women making hormone therapy decisions.

This study focuses on midlife women aged 40-65 years who were in transition to menopause, were menopausal or had a hysterectomy, to examine and better understand hormone therapy (HT) choices women make. Among the nationally representative sample of women in the Commonwealth Fund 1998 Survey of Women's Health (n = 884), 39% of the menopausal women reported current HT use. The two primary reasons for initiating HT are following a doctor's recommendation and seeking relief of menopausal symptoms. Age, education, race, hysterectomy status, having health insurance, use of calcium supplements and comfort in communicating with a doctor are important factors associated with HT use. This study underscores the importance of physicians and other health professionals providing accurate HT information to assist women in making HT decisions.