Year

2006

Season

Spring

Paper Type

Master's Thesis

College

Brooks College of Health

Degree Name

Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)

Department

Nursing

First Advisor

Dr. Kathaleen C. Bloom

Second Advisor

Dr. Pamela S. Chally

Third Advisor

Dr. Michele S. Bednarzyk

Department Chair

Dr. Lillia Loriz

College Dean

Dr. Pamela S. Chally

Abstract

Since the results of the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) study were published in 2002, millions of women and their healthcare practitioners have had to re-examine decisions about the use of hormone replacement therapy. This level one descriptive study explored the characteristics of menopausal women who could not tolerate estrogen withdrawal and continued taking hormone replacement therapy despite findings of risk published in the Women's Health Initiative. The sample included the medical records of 1,195 patients in a single-physician OB-GYN practice in northeast Florida. All records of women with a birth date in 1954 or prior and a visit to the practice for gynecological care between July 2002 and March 1, 2004 were reviewed to collect data about demographics, past medical history, and hormone replacement therapy (HRT) use.

A significant portion of women (77.2%) had discontinued HRT. Of the women remaining on HRT, 54.7% changed either the dose or type of hormones taken. Only 59.5% of these women remained on the same estrogen dose both before and after the WHI results were published in 2002. Interestingly, there were 29 women (4%) who initiated HR T use after July 2002. The women who remained on HR T after WHI were more likely to be younger, Caucasian (72. 7% ), non-smokers (82.3% ), and taking medication for other conditions (68.5%). The older the woman, the less likely she was to have continued HRT. Younger women were more likely to have changed HRT drug and/or dose post-WHI.

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