Menopause affects more than 50 million American women every year!
That number is even more startling when the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) predict “a national health concern of dramatic proportions” unless women are better educated about menopause.
Many US governors have jumped onboard of the education initiative by declaring September 2006 as Menopause Awareness Month. Governor of Michigan, Jennifer Granholm, agrees with the ACOG, she says that “if [women] are not properly treated by a trained physician or nurse practitioner, the health risks of pre-menopause and post menopausal women [could] result in an increased number [of women] afflicted with osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease.” Furthermore Governor Granholm predicts that the numbers will reach staggering proportions because of aging Baby Boomers.
The National Menopause Awareness Month campaign was created by The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Office of Women's Health. It purpose: to spread awareness and education about the pros and cons of hormone therapy to treat menopause. The FDA wants the 37.5 million women, between the ages of 40 and 59 to be knowledgeable concerning menopause and menopause treatment, because as Dr. Susan Wood, the Assistant Commissioner of the FDA’s Office of Women’s Health, suggests only then will women be able to “make the best decision to fit their [menopausal] needs."
That’s why the FDA is distributing printable brochures and tools to address the typical questions, of perimenopausal and menopausal women:
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What are the benefits of using hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to treat menopause?
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Are there risks associated with using hormones (HRT)?
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Will HRT help ease my menopause symptoms?
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Are my menopause symptoms normal?
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Do all women go experience menopause?
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What are the different treatment options available to me?
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How will my doctor be able to do to help me manage my menopausal symptoms?
The FDA features a list of health resources, printable brochures, and a handy list of questions to take to doctor visits, are downloadable directly on the FDA's website.