Effect of counseling on adherence to perimenopausal hormone therapy in Slovenia

To evaluate the effect of counseling on women's adherence to hormone therapy (HT) in Slovenia following the publication of the results of the Women's Health Initiative prospective study.

In this 24-month prospective, randomized, controlled study with 125 women in early menopause, those in the study group (n=64) attended oral presentations on menopause and HT whereas those in the control group (n=63) did not. Data were collected from 2 questionnaires, one completed before starting HT and the other during follow-up visits after 3, 6, 12, and 24 months. The results were analyzed according to the intention-to-treat principle.

In the second year, an improved quality of life and friends critical of HT negatively affected adherence to HT. After 24 months, 47% of the participants in the study group and 32% in the control group were still using HT. The difference between the 2 groups in the rates of participants who discontinued HT was the same in the first than and in the last 12 months of the study (49 [76.6%] vs 15 [23.4%]).

Since there were no changes in discontinuation rates between the groups from one study period to the other, and a total of 15 women in each group stopped using HT in the second year of the study, the effect of the educational presentations on HT adherence was long-term rather than temporary.