| Learning Objective #1: Develop a greater understanding of the impact perimenopausal symptoms may have on individual women | |||
| Learning Objective #2: Explore issues related to the use of HRT during perimenopause |
Introduction: For the first time in history most women in developed countries can expect to live 30 years beyond menopause. Although the perimenopause can be a critical time in a woman’s life the medico-scientific literature suggests that most women experience few major difficulties during this period. Objective: Moving beyond the medico-scientific view of menopause this study aims to identify the most common perimenopausal symptoms experienced by a group of Australian women. In addition it examines the relationship between symptom event, severity of symptoms and the quality of life experienced by the participants. Design: A quantitative survey. Participants: A non-representative convenience sample of 220 healthy women, aged 45 to 55 years, drawn from a population of women residing in Australia. Setting: All women’s health centres listed with Women’s Health Queensland, Women’s Infolink, and the Queensland Health Department were invited to participate. Main Outcome Measure: The Women’s Health Assessment Scale. Results: Most frequently occurring perimenopausal symptoms included forgetfulness, lack of energy, irritability, and weight gain. The most distressing perimenopausal symptoms included weight gain, heavy bleeding, poor concentration, leaking of urine, and feeling as though life was not worth living. Current use of hormone replacement therapy was predictive of both symptom occurrence and symptom distress. Conclusion: The perimenopause is marked by more than hot flushes and night sweats; cognitive and affective changes can also be distressing. It is recommended that the relationship between HRT use and both symptom occurrence and symptom distress warrant further investigation and women should be monitored closely during the early stages of hormone treatment.
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