When asked how much hormone replacement therapy, which has been shown to improve menopausal symptoms in women such as hot flashes and insomnia, is being used by doctors involved in treatment, half of the doctors have performed it in the past year. A questionnaire conducted by NHK on the Internet revealed that there was no such thing.

Hormone replacement therapy is internationally recognized as having the effect of improving menopausal symptoms that appear before and after menopause, such as hot flashes, insomnia, and depression, but it is said that it is not being used in Japan as compared to overseas. It has been pointed out.



Last month, NHK conducted a questionnaire on the Internet for doctors with the advice of specialists to find out how much this treatment is being used in the medical field.



As a result, of the 479 doctors in obstetrics and gynecology and internal medicine who said they might see patients with menopausal symptoms, 48% said they had given hormone replacement therapy in the past year, half of them. I found that it was not enough.



The reason for this was


▽ "because I am not familiar with it outside my specialty" (61%),


followed


by ▽ "I have no prescription experience" (28%


).



In addition,


▽ "because it is difficult to manage" is 25%, and


▽ "because there is a risk of cancer" is 20%.

Dr. Akihiko Wakatsuki, the chairman of the Japan Society for Menopause and Medicine, who is made up of menopausal specialists, said, "Hormone replacement therapy is generally used overseas, but it cannot be said that it has penetrated in Japan yet. Hormone replacement therapy requires specialized knowledge such as management methods, so some doctors are reluctant to use it. If used properly, there is a risk of cancer. It can greatly improve the quality of life of women suffering from menopausal symptoms while minimizing it, so those who suffer from symptoms should see a gynecologist who has a specialist doctor. I would like to take measures such as raising knowledge by holding workshops for Japanese people. "

What is Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)?

To improve menopausal symptoms

Menopausal symptoms caused by a decrease in the female hormone "estrogen".

One of the treatments that is thought to be effective for improvement is hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

Trouble with menopausal symptoms Consultation & article summary

[April 2022 version]