COUNSELLING: A BOOST TO CHANGE PERCEPTION IN PERIMENOPAUSAL WOMEN

Aisha Perveen*, ShaziaJilani and Sayeda Shifa Zaidi

ABSTRACT

Background: Menopause is defined as the permanent cessation of menstruation resulting in the loss of ovarian follicular activity. The term ‘perimenopause’ should include the period immediately prior to menopause (when the endocrinological, biological and clinical features of approaching menopause commence). Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is the most common preferred treatment option for the management of post-menopausal symptoms but with HRT, there is significant increased risk in cardiovascular disease, deep venous thrombosis, breast cancer, etc. As a result, growing interest in alternative therapies Simple counsellingcan help to minimize symptoms of menopause. Thus, on this basis a need was felt to take up perimenopausal women. Objective: To determine the effect of counselling to change the perception in perimenopausalwomen. Method: One hundred perimenopausal women between the age of thirty-five to fifty-five years who could read & understand Hindi & English from Gynae& Family Planing OPD at MajeediaHospital JamiaHamdard N D SIM based on role of diet, exercise and some basic knowledge regarding perimenopausal phase given. Focus group discussion done frequently Results: There was a significant difference in the perception scores of the subject Before & after intervention as revealed by the Wilcoxon signed Ranks test (p<0.001) Conclusion: Comparison of perception scores of sample subjects before & after intervention was done. There was a significant difference in the perception score of the subjects before & after intervention as revealed by the Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test (P<0.001).

Keywords: Perimenopause, Councelling, Diet, Exercise.