Alternatives to hormone replacement therapy: A multi-method study of women's experiences

SummaryObjectiveTo explore women's decision-making regarding use of complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) during menopause.MethodsQualitative interviews were conducted with 20 women who were currently or had previously used hormone replacement therapy (HRT), including questions about their experiences with alternatives to HRT. This was followed by a non-random questionnaire survey of 285 demographically representative Canadian women aged 45–65 who were current or former HRT users.ResultsFifty-seven percent (57%, n = 162) of women reported either having used or considered a CAM approach for menopause. Women who had tried or considered CAM were significantly younger (mean age = 54.9 years versus 56.8 years; t(280) = 3.4, p < .05) and reported experiencing worse menopause-specific symptoms than those who had not, and these women also reported a worse experience of menopause overall.Conclusion: A majority of menopausal women in the current study considered or tried CAM alternatives to HRT.