title: Compliance with hormone replacement therapy in postmenopausal Sicilian women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To verify the compliance with hormone replacement therapy (HRT) over 2 years in a population of postmenopausal women in East Sicily.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients starting hormonal therapy for the first time were enrolled in this study. A telephone survey was then conducted after 3, 6, 12 and 24 months and the reasons for any discontinuation were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of a total of 138 women who agreed to be enrolled in this prospective longitudinal study 72 were still taking the treatment after 1 year and only 56 at the end of the study, although only three patients reported that they had experienced no benefit.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Type of work, surgical menopause and previous use of oral contraceptives were significantly statistically associated with better HRT compliance. Side effects and fear of breast cancer, which we maintain is exaggerated by the women and their family doctors, were the commonest reasons for early discontinuation of the hormonal treatment.
authors.affiliation: Obstetrics and Gynecology Unit (Dir. Prof. P. Mastrantonio), Institute of Gynecology Policlinico Universitario, University of Messina, "G. Martino" 98100 Messina, Italy. francesco.corrado@unime.it
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Corrado
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: D'Anna
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Caputo
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Cannata
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Zoccali
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cancellieri
mesh_terms: D004958:Estradiol / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008875:Middle Aged; D010052:Ovariectomy; D010349:Patient Compliance; D017698:Postmenopause; D011374:Progesterone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012802:Sicily; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013689:Telephone
chemical_list: D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol