Attitudes toward menopause in HIV-infected and at-risk women.
OBJECTIVE
To study attitudes toward menopause in women with or at risk of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) aged 35 to 60 in New York City, NY, USA.


METHODS
Data were obtained at the baseline interview in a cohort study of menopause. Of 502 participating women, 92 were postmenopausal and 162 were perimenopausal.


RESULTS
Overall, 37.5% of women had a relatively favorable attitude toward menopause. African Americans had a 72% greater odds of a positive attitude (OR = 1.72, 95% CI 1.16-2.57) than all other groups after adjusting for covariates. Hispanic women had the least favorable view of menopause. Experience of > 3 menopausal symptoms and negative life events-being a witness to a murder, and the death ofa child-were significantly associated with negative attitudes towards menopause (OR = 0.62, 95% CI 0.42-0.93 and OR = 0.64, 95% CI 0.43-0.93, respectively). Depressive symptoms, street drug use, and having a domestic partner, which is significant in single variable analyses, did not remain independent predictors in multivariate results. HIV status, menopause status, and age at interview were not associated with menopause attitudes.


CONCLUSIONS
HIV-infected, drug-using, low-income women showed generally unfavorable attitudes towards menopause. High stress life events coupled with a high prevalence of depressive symptoms indicate this population has special needs marked by the menopause transition into older age.
Hartel
Diana
D
Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA. diana.hartel@gmail.com
Lo
Yungtai
Y
Bauer
Carolyn
C
Budner
Nancy
N
Howard
Andrea A
AA
Floris-Moore
Michelle
M
Arnsten
Julia H
JH
Santoro
Nanette
N
Schoenbaum
Ellie E
EE
D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009519:New York City / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population