Perceptions of menopause among rural women of Lahore.
OBJECTIVE
The present study was undertaken to document the perceptions of Pakistani women regarding menopause.


METHODS
Cross-sectional descriptive study.


METHODS
The study was conducted in the suburb of Lahore from 1st July 2000 to 31st August 2000.


METHODS
The data were collected from a rural population of 28,419 individuals living in 20 villages outside Lahore. A systematic random sample of 130 women was drawn from those 1337 women, who had reached natural menopause. In-depth interviews were conducted in local dialect.


RESULTS
The age of the population ranged from 42 to 80 years with a mean of 59.8+/-7.4 years. The mean age at menopause was 49.0+/-3.6 years. Majority of the women (82.3%) considered menopause as a positive change. According to 71.6% women, their relationship with the family had either improved or there was no change. There was an increase in libido among 70.5% women, decrease in libido among 5.7% and no change among 23.8% women. However, 16.9 % women reported dyspareunia. Seven percent of the women suffered a fracture after menopause. None of the study subjects reported postmenopausal bleeding. Three women (2.3%) had cardiac ailments. The proportion of women showing a positive attitude towards menopause was significantly higher (p<0.005) among our study subjects as compared to those from India, Thailand, USA and Australia.


CONCLUSIONS
The majority of study subjects did not consider menopause as a negative milestone, loss of time, a partial death or a disease as seen in many western populations. On the contrary menopause is regarded as a natural phase in a woman's reproductive life
Yahya
Samira
S
Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Shaikh Zayed Postgraduate Medical Institute, Lahore.
Rehan
N
N
D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D019584:Hot Flashes / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010154:Pakistan; D012424:Rural Population