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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Erica Frank, MD, MPH, Family & Preventive Medicine, Emory University, School of Medicine, 69 Butler Street, SE, Atlanta, GA 30303, 404-616-5603, efrank@fpm.eushc.org and Lisa Elon, MS, MPH, Dept. of Biostatistics, Emory University, Rollins School of Public Health, 1518 Clifton Rd., Atlanta, GA 30322.
Objective: To identify differences between those who have used oral contraceptives (OCs) and are now using (or intending to use post-menopausally) hormone replacement therapy (HRT), and those not making the OC-HRT transition.
Methods: The Women Physicians’ Health Study took a stratified random sample of US women M.D.s, aged 30-70 (4501 respondents, a 59% response rate).
Results: Among postmenopausal physicians, current HRT use was significantly associated (p<.05) with previously using OCs, being younger, sexually active, an obstetrician/gynecologist, having no breast cancer history, or being post-hysterectomy. Among premenopausal physicians, intended future HRT use was significantly associated with being White, an obstetrician/gynecologist, in good health, having more extensive recent CME, a non-East Coast resident, or a longer user of OCs. Average years of OC use was 5.4 among ever-users.
Among women who had taken both OCs and HRT, there were no significantly elevated rates in any of the 15 health conditions we examined (after controlling for family history).
Postmenopausal physicians who took HRT (and premenopausal OC-using physicians intending to take HRT) were significantly more likely to counsel their patients on HRT use. Among post-OC HRT-users, 44% counseled their postmenopausal female patients on HRT at least yearly, vs. 22% of post-OC HRT-nonusers (74% vs 45% among such primary care physicians).
Conclusions: Physicians’ personal OC and HRT use may strongly affect their patient counseling practices. Using HRT after OCs were associated with no obvious increases in examined diseases in this population.
Learning Objectives: The reader of this poster will be able to
Keywords: Menopause, Contraceptives
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: This work was performed using an unrestricted educational grant from Wyeth-Ayerst.