Menopausal issues: a national probability sample of US women.

OBJECTIVE: This survey assessed women's reported information sources about menopause, interactions with physicians concerning use of and compliance concerning conventional and alternative therapies for symptoms, and factors determining choices of symptom support.

DESIGN: The study was a nationwide probability survey of menopausal women regarding their symptoms, their attitudes toward menopause and concerns about the menopause experience, what they use as sources of information about menopause, their evaluation of healthcare professionals' competence in addressing patients' concerns, self-evaluation of communication with a healthcare professional about concerns, their feelings about herbal remedies and other complementary and alternative medicine treatment options, and what they consider the most important factor(s) in choosing a treatment option for menopause.

RESULTS: Physicians were the most common source of menopause information. Physician opinions are more frequently sought than other sources. About 40% of respondents are comfortable with using over-the-counter or herbal remedies for menopausal symptoms. Only 19% had discussed use of herbal supplements with their physicians.

CONCLUSION: This study unveiled women's opinions about treatment options for menopause. More in-depth studies regarding efficacy and/or side effects of each available treatment are the relevant next step, given the prevalence of both hormone replacement therapy and alternative therapies and the controversies surrounding them.