title: Change in the frequency of HRT use from 2000 to 2005 and reasons to discontinue: follow-up of a normal cohort in Finland.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine frequencies of the use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in a follow-up cohort of women aged 57-61 years in 2005 and to discover reasons why the women who used HRT in 2000 discontinued it.
  
  
  METHODS
  Questionnaire survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Five-year cross-sectional follow-up study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cohort of 52- to 56-year-old Finnish women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Single- and multi-predictor model analyses.
  
  
  METHODS
  Frequency of HRT users and quitters and reasons behind the discontinuation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Altogether, 35.9% of the women aged 57-61 years used HRT in 2005. Main reasons for the initial use of HRT among users and among those who discontinued included the perceived experience of severe climacteric symptoms as well as maintenance of health and prevention of mostly cardiovascular diseases. Main reasons to discontinue HRT included desire to stay without medication, side-effects, reaction to recent controversial findings in 'HRT publications' and fear of cancer. Those women who used but discontinued HRT had used it for less time than those who continued. Women who discontinued were older and initially started using HRT to maintain health. Neither the severity of climacteric symptoms nor reporting on positive or negative effects prior to starting use had influence on the women's discontinuance of HRT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of HRT was still frequent in Finland in 2005 despite the impact of controversial research results from the early 2000s. For those who discontinued HRT, these reports played an important role.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, University of Turku, Lemminkäisenkatu 1,Turku, Finland. jaana.jalava-broman@turku.fi
authors.forename: Jaana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jalava-Broman
authors.forename: Juha
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mäkinen
authors.forename: Ansa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ojanlatva
authors.forename: Kirsi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jokinen
authors.forename: Lauri
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sillanmäki
authors.forename: Päivi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rautava
mesh_terms: D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D020249:Hormone Replacement Therapy / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008593:Menopause / Q000187:drug effects*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires