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Aboriginal women and menopause
1Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB.
Objective:
To determine the characteristics of menopause in Aboriginal women, in particular Canadian Aboriginal women.
Methods:
An extensive review of articles extracted from both medical and non-medical databases was undertaken. The search strategy combined the key word "menopause" with any of the following terms: Aboriginals, Native Americans, Natives, Indians, Métis, Inuit, Eskimo, and Indigenous people.
Results:
A total of 29 records were found, 13 of which had results relevant to the objective of the study. These articles suggest that menopause may have a positive effect on the lives of Aboriginal women with respect to increasing their freedom within the community. Aboriginal women appear to experience fewer vasomotor symptoms than other North American women.
Conclusion:
More research needs to be done to determine the effect menopause has on Canadian Aboriginal women and their coexisting diseases such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus. This work will allow health care providers to make more informed decisions on managing Aboriginal women's transition through menopause in areas such as hormone replacement therapy.