Despite the availability of treatment options, the majority of midlife women do not seek care when experiencing menopause symptoms, according to a new study led by Ekta Kapoor, associate professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in Rochester, Minnesota.
Dr. Kapoor and her co-authors asked a sample of nearly 5,000 women ages 45 to 60 to complete a questionnaire regarding their menopause experience, including its impact on their personal and professional lives, as well as their perceived quality of care and reasons for not seeking or receiving care for their symptoms. Over three-quarters of all respondents had experienced at least mild menopause symptoms, while over a third reported moderate to severe symptoms.
Of these women, over 80 percent did not seek medical care to address these symptoms. Some women reported preferring to manage symptoms on their own, while some said they were too busy, were unaware that effective treatments exist, or were too embarrassed by their symptoms to mention them to their health care providers.
“The study highlights the importance of educating women and health care professionals about menopause-related symptoms and the availability of safe and efficacious therapies, including hormone therapy,” the authors conclude. “Furthermore, it emphasizes the need for strategies to better identify women with bothersome menopause symptoms so that they can be offered the appropriate counseling and care.”