Menopause Management Considerations for Women with HIV

For the first time, people living with HIV have near normal life expectancies. Advancing therapies have resulted in more women living with HIV (WLHIV) who experience menopause. Unfortunately, many WLHIV fall into a knowledge gap: HIV practitioners lack experience in menopause management, while general practitioners’ have little HIV experience. Coupled with the lack of data on menopause and HIV, many WLHIV have limited access to medical care and support.

Post Reproductive Health

has published a review of menopause and HIV

data. Researchers aimed to provide insight into general, and unique menopause management considerations in WLHIV.

WLHIV are at elevated risk for comorbidities as their life expectancy increases. Both menopause and HIV infection increase risk for

cardiovascular disease

, low bone mineral density, osteoporosis, and mental health diagnoses.

Menopause hormone therapy (MHT) treats menopause's common symptoms, and biological changes. This therapy is likely underutilized in WLHIV, due to concern of drug-drug interactions (DDIs) between MHT and antiretroviral therapy (ART). Limited data on these DDIs exists, although data regarding ART, and hormonal contraceptives may be extrapolated.

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