Setting up a specialist menopause clinic in Ireland: the initial experience

The Rotunda Hospital Dublin set up a Menopause Clinic in February 1990. Eighty-one new patients were seen in the first 6 months of operation. Most presented either with symptoms attributable to oestrogen deficiency (36%) or non-specific symptoms associated with depression or ageing (26%). There was a high incidence of significant family/social/martial problems (25%) and abnormal vaginal bleeding (20%). The case is made for such specialised clinics; expertise with respect to hormone replacement therapy and its manipulation develops, problems of specific socio-cultural settings can be identified, and screening programmes for disease coordinated.