Women seek answers on menopause

Date: Oct. 21, 1999
Time: 1:23 pm

"While a recent medical breakthrough has opened the door to the possibility of postponing or even reversing menopause in at least some women in the future, the reality is that women want answers today," said Dr. Christine Derzko, director of the Midlife Menopause Program at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto.

The breakthrough is a recently developed procedure in which frozen ovary tissue can be grafted back into a woman's body and combined with fertility drugs to encourage egg production. The discovery, by British scientist Richard Gosden, who recently relocated to Montreal, will be used primarily in women made infertile by chemotherapy or those who have had early-onset menopause.

Cutting-edge research notwithstanding, the SOGC released a study earlier this week which revealed that even though most women over age 50 are well informed about menopause, almost 43% of those under age 50 want more information about the condition and related health issues.

"Canadian women are looking for reliable and accurate information on menopause, an important life event that will affect some 4 million Canadian women by the [the year 2000]," said Derzko. She added that women are most interested in information about the symptoms of menopause, hormone replacement therapy, the impact of menopause on mental health and coping with this change.

Although the changes that take place during menopause can be challenging enough, the risk of heart disease also rises after menopause due to the depletion of estrogen in the body.

In response to the increasing demand for information, the SOGC has launched a public awareness campaign that includes a toll-free information service (800 463-6842) and information available in print format and on the Web.

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