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The KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH) Maternal and Child Health Research Institute (MCHRI) has launched Singapore's first set of Guidelines on Management of the Menopause Transition.
Unveiled by Sim Ann, Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs & Foreign Affairs and Adviser, People’s Association Women’s Integration Network Council, the guidelines provides a framework to standardise care for this important stage of women's health.
Menopause, which typically occurs at age 49 in Singapore, marks the end of a woman's reproductive years when menstrual periods stop. During this phase, declining estrogen levels can trigger widespread changes throughout the body.
The guidelines reaffirm menopause hormone therapy (MHT) as safe and effective for treating bothersome vasomotor symptoms such as hot flushes and menopause-related mood issues, and for preventing and treating postmenopausal osteoporosis. For most women experiencing these symptoms who are under 60 or within 10 years of menopause, and who can safely use MHT, the benefits significantly outweigh the risks.
This clarifies decades-long misconceptions about MHT, and follows the recent removal of broad black box warnings from MHT products by the US Food and Drug Administration.
The guidelines also emphasises that healthcare professionals should counsel at-risk women about the possibility of fertility loss and discuss available options.
