Treatment Preferences And Awareness Of HRT Among Nigerian Menopausal Women

Abstract

To determine treatment preferences and awareness of HRT amongst Nigerian Igbo women, a two-year cross-sectional study of consecutive eligible menopausal women seen by the author in Enugu South East Nigeria was undertaken .Data for the study were obtained with the aid of researcher-administered, semi-structured questionnaires which captured the socio-demographicdata, age at menopause, menopausal symptoms experienced, treatment received for menopausal symptoms, sources of the treatment and awareness of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). The common menopausal symptoms were body and joint pains (58%), hot flushes (49.8%), urinary symptoms (28.7%), insomnia (16.7%), crawling sensation (14.8) and depression (14.4%). 176 respondents (84.2%) had received some form of treatment for the menopausal symptoms while 33 (15.8%) had not. Their sources of treatments were herbal medicine practitioners 156 (74.6%), patent medicine dealers and medicine vendors 125 (59.8%), priests, pastors and prayer houses 89 (42.6%), and health care facilities (hospitals and health centres) 39 (18.7%). Only 2 (0.96%) of the women were aware of HRT and none had ever receive HRT. It is concluded that although Nigerian Igbo women experienced most known menopausal symptoms, they prefer herbal therapies for these symptoms. They have very low awareness of HRT.