Current attitudes on self-use and prescription of hormone therapy among New York City gynaecologists

Gayatri Devi; Fumitaka Sugiguchi; Anette Tønnes Pedersen; Dana Abrassart; Michele Glodowski; Lila Nachtigall

doi:10.1177/1754045313478941

Current attitudes on self-use and prescription of hormone therapy among New York City gynaecologists

Gayatri Devi, Fumitaka Sugiguchi, Anette Tønnes Pedersen, Dana Abrassart, Michele Glodowski, Lila Nachtigall

Department of Clinical Medicine

6 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Objective: The results of the Women's Health Initiative studies dramatically altered hormone therapy use around the world. In countries outside the United States, self-use in physicians remained unaltered while prescription use declined, implying that physicians may not concur with the findings. We wished to explore prevailing attitudes among American physicians by examining New York City obstetrician-gynaecologists' self-use and prescription use of hormone therapy. Study design: All board-certified obstetrician-gynaecologists in New York City were invited to complete and return a detailed, previously validated questionnaire concerning hormone therapy use. Results: Two hundred and nine questionnaires were returned, for a response rate of 12% (209/1797). Gynaecologists agreed with the findings from the Women's Health Initiative studies regarding indications and contraindications to hormone therapy use. Even so, three-quarters of female gynaecologists and female partners of male gynaecologists (74%; 67/91) use or have previously used hormone therapy. However, only 27.3% (21/77) of male gynaecologists and 12.3% (14/114) of female gynaecologists recommend hormone therapy to all menopausal women regardless of contraindications. Gynaecologists remain divided in their attitude toward hormone therapy; 30% of gynaecologists felt that hormone therapy use generally prolonged women's lives, 36% felt it was not useful in prolonging women's lives, and 33% were unsure. Conclusion: Since the publication of the Women's Health Initiative findings, New York City gynaecologists prescribe hormone therapy to fewer patients. However, they continue to self-use hormone therapy at much higher rates, even as they seem to concur with Women's Health Initiative recommendations, contributing to the ongoing controversy surrounding the validity of the Women's Health Initiative findings.

Original language	English
Journal	Menopause International
Volume	19
Issue number	3
Pages (from-to)	121-126
Number of pages	6
ISSN	1754-0453
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/1754045313478941
Publication status	Published - 1 Sept 2013

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title = "Current attitudes on self-use and prescription of hormone therapy among New York City gynaecologists",

abstract = "Objective: The results of the Women's Health Initiative studies dramatically altered hormone therapy use around the world. In countries outside the United States, self-use in physicians remained unaltered while prescription use declined, implying that physicians may not concur with the findings. We wished to explore prevailing attitudes among American physicians by examining New York City obstetrician-gynaecologists' self-use and prescription use of hormone therapy. Study design: All board-certified obstetrician-gynaecologists in New York City were invited to complete and return a detailed, previously validated questionnaire concerning hormone therapy use. Results: Two hundred and nine questionnaires were returned, for a response rate of 12% (209/1797). Gynaecologists agreed with the findings from the Women's Health Initiative studies regarding indications and contraindications to hormone therapy use. Even so, three-quarters of female gynaecologists and female partners of male gynaecologists (74%; 67/91) use or have previously used hormone therapy. However, only 27.3% (21/77) of male gynaecologists and 12.3% (14/114) of female gynaecologists recommend hormone therapy to all menopausal women regardless of contraindications. Gynaecologists remain divided in their attitude toward hormone therapy; 30% of gynaecologists felt that hormone therapy use generally prolonged women's lives, 36% felt it was not useful in prolonging women's lives, and 33% were unsure. Conclusion: Since the publication of the Women's Health Initiative findings, New York City gynaecologists prescribe hormone therapy to fewer patients. However, they continue to self-use hormone therapy at much higher rates, even as they seem to concur with Women's Health Initiative recommendations, contributing to the ongoing controversy surrounding the validity of the Women's Health Initiative findings.",

author = "Gayatri Devi and Fumitaka Sugiguchi and Pedersen, {Anette T{\o}nnes} and Dana Abrassart and Michele Glodowski and Lila Nachtigall",

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AU - Devi, Gayatri

AU - Sugiguchi, Fumitaka

AU - Pedersen, Anette Tønnes

AU - Abrassart, Dana

AU - Glodowski, Michele

AU - Nachtigall, Lila

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N2 - Objective: The results of the Women's Health Initiative studies dramatically altered hormone therapy use around the world. In countries outside the United States, self-use in physicians remained unaltered while prescription use declined, implying that physicians may not concur with the findings. We wished to explore prevailing attitudes among American physicians by examining New York City obstetrician-gynaecologists' self-use and prescription use of hormone therapy. Study design: All board-certified obstetrician-gynaecologists in New York City were invited to complete and return a detailed, previously validated questionnaire concerning hormone therapy use. Results: Two hundred and nine questionnaires were returned, for a response rate of 12% (209/1797). Gynaecologists agreed with the findings from the Women's Health Initiative studies regarding indications and contraindications to hormone therapy use. Even so, three-quarters of female gynaecologists and female partners of male gynaecologists (74%; 67/91) use or have previously used hormone therapy. However, only 27.3% (21/77) of male gynaecologists and 12.3% (14/114) of female gynaecologists recommend hormone therapy to all menopausal women regardless of contraindications. Gynaecologists remain divided in their attitude toward hormone therapy; 30% of gynaecologists felt that hormone therapy use generally prolonged women's lives, 36% felt it was not useful in prolonging women's lives, and 33% were unsure. Conclusion: Since the publication of the Women's Health Initiative findings, New York City gynaecologists prescribe hormone therapy to fewer patients. However, they continue to self-use hormone therapy at much higher rates, even as they seem to concur with Women's Health Initiative recommendations, contributing to the ongoing controversy surrounding the validity of the Women's Health Initiative findings.

AB - Objective: The results of the Women's Health Initiative studies dramatically altered hormone therapy use around the world. In countries outside the United States, self-use in physicians remained unaltered while prescription use declined, implying that physicians may not concur with the findings. We wished to explore prevailing attitudes among American physicians by examining New York City obstetrician-gynaecologists' self-use and prescription use of hormone therapy. Study design: All board-certified obstetrician-gynaecologists in New York City were invited to complete and return a detailed, previously validated questionnaire concerning hormone therapy use. Results: Two hundred and nine questionnaires were returned, for a response rate of 12% (209/1797). Gynaecologists agreed with the findings from the Women's Health Initiative studies regarding indications and contraindications to hormone therapy use. Even so, three-quarters of female gynaecologists and female partners of male gynaecologists (74%; 67/91) use or have previously used hormone therapy. However, only 27.3% (21/77) of male gynaecologists and 12.3% (14/114) of female gynaecologists recommend hormone therapy to all menopausal women regardless of contraindications. Gynaecologists remain divided in their attitude toward hormone therapy; 30% of gynaecologists felt that hormone therapy use generally prolonged women's lives, 36% felt it was not useful in prolonging women's lives, and 33% were unsure. Conclusion: Since the publication of the Women's Health Initiative findings, New York City gynaecologists prescribe hormone therapy to fewer patients. However, they continue to self-use hormone therapy at much higher rates, even as they seem to concur with Women's Health Initiative recommendations, contributing to the ongoing controversy surrounding the validity of the Women's Health Initiative findings.

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DO - 10.1177/1754045313478941

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SP - 121

EP - 126

JO - Menopause international

JF - Menopause international

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ER -

Current attitudes on self-use and prescription of hormone therapy among New York City gynaecologists

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