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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Judith A. Costlow, MS, CHES, Department of Health, Region 2, State of New Mexico, 712 Gonzales Road, Santa Fe, NM 87501-9823, 505-820-1036, j.costlow@att.net

Since the Women's Health Initiative was stopped early because of higher risks of breast cancer and cardiovascular disease from Hormone Replacement Therapy in menopausal women, the pharmaceutical companies have been scrambling to find a substitute. These companies have continued to treat menopause as a disease, marketing new, untested products to mid-life women playing on vulnerabilities during menopause, while covertly promising to keep women young. Mid-life women are the perfect targets for pharmaceutical companies pushing their drugs and technology. Menopause is a physiological, sociological, and normal event in our lives. Ultimately it is about how it feels to be an older woman in our society. We will be looking at menopause as a natural life transition that is under pressure from the medical profession and pharmaceutical companies that still view menopause as a disease that must be treated. Learning to balance the information that is received and making choices about what is right can be challenging. Tools will be provided through handouts to help women sort out their choices and find ones that are right for them. Each participant will leave this workshop with knowledge to help in her own decision-making process.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant will be able to

• Identify three environmental factors that contribute to how women feel at menopause.
• List four strategies women can use to help them through the menopause transition.
• Describe the influence that pharmaceutical companies have on women's decision-making during menopause.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation