The Ohio Academy of Family Physicians, in partnership with the New Jersey Academy of Family Physicians (NJAFP), is offering free enduring continuing medical education on menopause.
The program, Menopause: Risks in the Changing Tide: Protecting Emotional Health in Menopause, is available on the NJAFP website.
Menopause is a universal milestone in the life cycle of women and every woman’s experience of this phase of life is unique and influenced by a variety of factors. The transition from normal ovarian function to the near-complete loss of estrogen production comes with a range of psychological, endocrinological, and physical changes which occur over years.2,3 Though some women go through the menopausal transition asymptomatic or with few symptoms, over 85% experience the effects of estrogen fluctuation and eventual deficiency – sweating, hot flashes, insomnia, discomfort, and vaginal dryness. These symptoms can range from mild to moderate discomfort to symptoms that are severe and disabling and are all influenced by psychological, ethnic, and socio-cultural factors.2,3
Menopause – the complete cessation of menses for 12 months – usually occurs at about 51 years of age though the age can range between 45 to 55 years.4 Based on increasing life expectancy, most women will live a good portion of their lives post-menopause.5 Yet many women have limited awareness of the potential implications of this transition and many primary care physicians struggle with how to manage this time in their patients’ lives.6
Participants who utilize this enduring will be able to:
- Recognize that in the clinical setting, women from different ethnic backgrounds will characterize menopause and its associated symptoms differently.
- Employ patient-focused, culturally relevant communication techniques when counseling patients regarding menopause and their menopausal symptoms.
- Utilize a patient-centered, shared-decision making approach in the evaluation and management of menopausal symptoms, including depression.
- Provide objective, up-to-date, evidence-based education regarding possible menopausal symptom treatment options along with an individualized management and follow-up plan
To learn and participate in this program, please visit the NJAFP website.
References available on the NJAFP website.