Knowledge and use of hormone replacement therapy among Polish women: estimates from a nationally representative study--HORTPOL 2002.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the knowledge about hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and the prevalence of its current use in Polish female population.


METHODS
Cross-sectional survey on a representative sample of 1544 women between 18 and 87 years of age.


RESULTS
Almost half of the Polish women have heard of HRT. Depending on the education level, 26-38% of women knew that HRT alleviates the physical and psychological symptoms of menopause and 18-32% knew that HRT reduces the risk of developing osteoporosis. Forty-three percent of all the women with a higher level of education were aware that HRT increases the risk of breast and uterine cancer. The prevalence of current HRT use among women aged 45-64 was 12%. Women who had only basic education were less likely to use HRT than those with a medium and higher education level. Lack of information about HRT was the main cause of not using it. Forty-four percent of the perimenopausal women (age range 45-54 years) have never heard of HRT and 36% were never told by their healthcare providers that they could use it. Nineteen percent of perimenopausal women were not using HRT because they were afraid of the HRT related risks. Sixty-four percent of women who were using HRT were prescribed oral HRT preparations.


CONCLUSIONS
A fairly small proportion of Polish women currently uses HRT, largely because most remain poorly informed about the therapy.
Rachoń
Dominik
D
Department of Immunology of the Medical University of Gdańsk, ul. Debinki 1, 80-210 Gdańsk, Poland. drachon@amedec.amg.gda.pl
Zdrojewski
Tomasz
T
Suchecka-Rachoń
Krystyna
K
Szpakowski
Pawe
P
Bandosz
Piotr
P
Manikowski
Adam
A
Wyrzykowski
Bogdan
B
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause; D008875:Middle Aged; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D017698:Postmenopause; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires