A STUDY ON THE USE OF MEDICATION FOR CLIMACTERIC COMPLAINTS IN WESTERN-EUROPE .2.

Samples of about 300 women aged 40-69 were interviewed in Denmark and the Netherlands about consultations with a physician for climacteric c omplaints, awareness regarding the menopause and hormone replacement t herapy (HRT), and use of medication. Twenty percent of Danish and 13% of Dutch respondents had consulted a physician. Fifty percent of Danis h and 160% of Dutch respondents were informed about the menopause, and 46% of Danish and 10% of Dutch respondents were informed about HRT,th e mass media being the most important information source. In Denmark a nd 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 th at consultation for climacteric complaints was a universal phenomenon in all six countries which correlated mainly with perimenopausal statu s. Awareness of the menopause and HRT, and actual use of HRT were pred ominantly associated with the individual countries. These findings sug gest that HRT prescription and use for climacteric complaints depend g reatly on country-specific reservations about HRT among both physician s and women. Surprisingly, these appeared more prevalent in the countr ies where GPs played a predominant role in climacteric counselling.