Hormone replacement therapy subcutaneous implants for refractory menopause symptoms; the patient's perspective

Area of Science:

• Menopause research
• Hormone replacement therapy
• Women's health

Background:

• Standard hormone replacement therapy (HRT) preparations may be ineffective for some women experiencing menopause symptoms.
• HRT implants offer a potential alternative for managing refractory menopausal symptoms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate women's perceptions of the efficacy, tolerability, satisfaction, and safety of HRT implant therapy.
• To assess the effectiveness of HRT implants in managing diverse menopause symptoms.

Main Methods:

• A single-center service evaluation study was conducted.
• An anonymised semi-structured survey was distributed to women who received HRT implants between May 1982 and December 2018.
• The Greene Climacteric Scale was used to assess climacteric symptoms.

Main Results:

• Data from 119 women indicated high satisfaction rates with HRT implant therapy.
• 70 women used estradiol-only implants, with 30.1% reporting low symptom scores (0-5) on the Greene Climacteric Scale.
• Subgroup analysis revealed symptom prevalence across age groups, with fewer psychological symptoms reported in women aged 51 and older.

Conclusions:

• HRT implants demonstrate good symptom control, satisfaction, and long-term efficacy for refractory menopause symptoms.
• The study supports the value of HRT implants as a viable treatment option.
• Establishing a national database for HRT implant users could enhance data collection on satisfaction and adverse events.