A website designed to provide evidence-based information and treatment options related to menopause can help women learn about and make management decisions about the transition, according to data published in the journal Maturitas.1 Authors of the study said the website can serve as a model for providing information to both women and health care providers.
Menopause Website Helps Women Make Treatment, Management Decisions / goodluz – stock.adobe.com
The website is called MyMenoplan and was created by the research network Menopause Strategies: Finding Lasting Answers for Symptoms and Health (MsFLASH). In creating the website, researchers aimed to help women going through the menopause transition make decisions that work for them based on scientific information. The website contains over 72 pages of information about perimenopause and menopause, symptoms and treatments, interactive tools, short videos, and stories from real women.
“This tool guides a person through a discussion of the symptom, explains why it is common during menopause, and outlines treatment options that may help alleviate it,” Andrea LaCroix, PhD, MPH, principal investigator of the trial, said in a release.2 “The goal is for women to create their own personalized plan to explore treatments, prepare to speak with their doctors, and try different approaches to feel more comfortable during the menopause transition.”
Investigators conducted a study to assess the impact of MyMenoplan on menopause knowledge, decision-making progress, treatment and coping intentions among people experiencing perimenopause and menopause. The study included 410 female or transgender male participants aged between 40 and 60 years who lived in the United States, had questions about perimenopause or menopause and had at least one troublesome symptom.
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The study participants were recruited through ads on social media websites between January 12 to 26, 2022. The participants were then randomly assigned to either the MyMenoplan website or a control arm where they could view any website they wanted. After clicking the ad, participants were sent an email with a link to a survey which they were asked to fill out after browsing the website for 20 minutes.
Of the patients, 52% identified as perimenopausal with an extremely high symptom burden. Physiological symptoms were the highest reported at 99.5%, followed by psychological at 97%, vasomotor at 82% and sexual at 64%. The study found that participants who viewed MyMenoplan were significantly more likely to report intent to change treatments, were more likely to have increased knowledge of menopause and were more likely to have more information about treatments.
However, the data showed that Intent to talk to provider and feeling better prepared for provider did not vary significantly between the 2 groups. Additionally, participants who viewed MyMenoplan also had higher scores on decision progress and values clarity.
“Ideally, when a woman schedules an appointment with their doctor to discuss menopause, her doctor might say, ‘I look forward to speaking with you. Please review this website before your visit and bring any questions you have after reading through the information,’” LaCroix said in a release.2 “It’s time to break the silence and bring menopause into the public conversation—because awareness is the first step toward better health outcomes.”
READ MORE: Women’s Health Resource Center
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