World Menopause Day 2024

The theme for World Menopause Day 2024 Menopause and Menopause Hormone Therapy

Though menopause and menopause hormone therapy are well understood in some parts of the world, they still receive little attention or remain controversial in others. This is the reason why the IMS chose it as the official theme of this year's World Menopause Day. Their goal is to ensure that they empower the individual with evidence-based resources to make fully informed choices.

AMS information on MHT

AMS Guide to MHT/HRT Doses Australia only

AMS Guide to MHT/HRT Doses New Zealand only

What is Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT) and is it safe?

9 myths and misunderstandings about Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT)

The October print issue of Climacteric includes Menopause and MHT in 2024: addressing the key controversies – an International Menopause Society White Paper: IMS White Paper 2024 Menopause and MHT in 2024: addressing the key controversies2.12 MB.

The paper is also available via Climacteric online with free access here.

From the paper:

Introduction

The aim of this 2024 White Paper is to provide an International Menopause Society (IMS) position statement about menopause and menopause hormone therapy (MHT), and in particular to address some of the key controversies. The paper’s purpose is to act as a blueprint upon which to base the future ethical management of menopause from both practical and aspirational perspectives.

The mission of the IMS is to work globally to promote and support access to best-practice health care for women through their menopause transition and post-reproductive years, enabling them to achieve this with optimal health and well-being. Through effective communication and evidencebased education about menopause, women can be empowered to make informed personalized choices aligned with their individual goals.

After many years of neglect, we have finally seen long overdue unprecedented attention given to menopause in the popular media, empowering women to seek care for menopause symptoms. Yet the media and even academic literature present polarized views on its management. These contrasting views often leave women feeling confused and disempowered rather than supported through their menopause transition and susceptible to unproven marketed products.

Very few therapeutic medical interventions have generated as much controversy, and very few have waxed and waned in popularity as much as MHT. Opinions about MHT appear to be driven as much by the sociocultural climate as they are by the emerging evidence from clinical trials. These sociocultural factors include demographics, education, reliogion, beliefs, values, social classes, sexuality and attitudes. The search for a well-balanced narrative of the menopause momentum continues [1]. This paper serves to lay the groundwork for this well-balanced narrative by defining the history and current context of menopause and MHT.

The aim of this White Paper is not to provide a comprehensive toolkit of therapeutic options and evidence for efficacy and safety; this is well covered by recommendations, guidelines and consensus statements. The paper is primarily intended to explore the following:

The key sections focus on questions commonly raised in clinical care and include the following:

key anthropological, evolutionary, historical, sociode-mographic and cultural issues which have influenced the perception of whether menopause is a natural life stage or a modern disease;
the expectation that menopause should be treated and how it should be treated;
expectations as to how effective and safe this treatment should be; • factors that have led to disappointment amongst women and confusion amongst healthcare professionals (HCPs);
what can be done going forward to avoid polarization of views to achieve a well-balanced narrative on MHT that is empowering to both HCPs and women in midlife and menopause

Read full paper here