Karoline Aebi-Popp
PD, MD, MSc
University Hospital Bern, Switzerland
HIV & Menopause Webinar 2023
What's New
- The Menopause Webinar 2023 took place on 16 November at 18:00 - 19:00 CET.
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About this Program
The Menopause Webinar 2023 took place online on 16 November 2023 from 18:00 - 19:00 CET.
The theme for this inaugural edition was: Nobody ever told me - healthcare for women living with HIV during menopause.
Menopause is a transition phase in aging women that is associated with hormonal changes that increase the risk for cardiovascular, bone, and neurocognitive diseases. Women in menopause are also at higher risk of acquiring HIV. However, little is known about the relationship between HIV and menopause.
Women living with HIV enter menopause 3-5 years earlier than those living without the virus. They experience more severe symptoms and show a higher risk for co-morbidities compared to women living without HIV. Severe menopausal symptoms have been associated with reduced quality of life, poorer mental health, and reduced adherence to HIV care.
Overall, monitoring and clinical management of menopause-related comorbidities and symptoms in women living with HIV becomes burdensome when there are limited official guidelines.
To meet this need, this program will gather a diverse audience of researchers, healthcare professionals, pharmacologists, regulatory, and community representatives to increase awareness about the interplay of HIV and menopause. A dialogue will be stimulated with the aim of improving the management of symptoms, co-morbidities, and quality of life in women who experience menopause and are living with HIV.