A study on the use of medication for climacteric complaints in western Europe--II

Samples of about 300 women aged 40-69 were interviewed in Denmark and the Netherlands about consultations with a physician for climacteric complaints, awareness regarding the menopause and hormone replacement therapy (HRT), and use of medication. Twenty percent of Danish and 13% of Dutch respondents had consulted a physician. Fifty percent of Danish and 16% of Dutch respondents were informed about the menopause, and 46% of Danish and 10% of Dutch respondents were informed about HRT, the mass media being the most important information source. In Denmark and the Netherlands HRT use rates were 12% and 4%, respectively, those for non-hormonal treatment being 6% and 2%, and for tranquillizers 11% and 7%. Pooling of the data with those from a similar study conducted in Italy, the United Kingdom, West Germany and France [6] revealed that consultation for climacteric complaints was a universal phenomenon in all six countries which correlated mainly with perimenopausal status. Awareness of the menopause and HRT, and actual use of HRT were predominantly associated with the individual countries. These findings suggest that HRT prescription and use for climacteric complaints depend greatly on country-specific reservations about HRT among both physicians and women. Surprisingly, these appeared more prevalent in the countries where GPs played a predominant role in climacteric counselling.